Starting Over
by KColl2003
Summary: After her breakdown, Faith runs to Xander. Reposted 148, due to chapter continuity error. FINISHED
1. Default Chapter

Title: Starting Over  
  
Rating: R (For Language later)  
  
Relationships: X\F  
  
Story: Action\Adventure  
  
Feedback: In lieu of a Faithbot yeah.  
  
E-Mail: KeithWrestle@Yahoo.Co.uk  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters just worship at their altar.  
  
Starting Over 1 - Decisions  
  
"Another Scooby meeting, another meeting of the How Wonderful Is Riley, How Useless Is Xander Club. I can hardly contain my joy." Xander slouched as he walked up his drive. "Still anything's better than a night in with dear old dad. Better pick up my stakes and go."  
  
The young man sighed as he heard sounds of fighting from inside the house. His mom must have got home from the 7-11 early, usually the fights didn't start until much later. "You want my boy, girl? Let's see what a real man can do for you!"  
  
An acid fear filled the young man at the sound of his father's voice coming from inside the house. Which one of his friends was in there? He realised it must be Anya, either Buff or Will had the power to handle the old bastard. Hitting the front door at a charge, he ran into the living room to find his dad crouched over a wailing figure lying on the couch. Xander's eyes widened, it couldn't be. "Dad, let her go," his voice shook both with fear of his father and the girl laid on the couch. Not even she deserved that.  
  
After slapping the girl across the face, the bigger man looked over his shoulder at him and laughed dismissively. "Go and make yourself some dinner, boy. By the time you've eaten, I'll have finished with this cutie. You can have what's left." His father turned back to the girl and began pulling her pants down.  
  
For a moment Xander stood where he was, rooted there by his terror of the man who had beaten and bullied him for all of his eighteen years. Then the girl whimpered. "Xand."  
  
That one word was enough to break the icy grip on his heart. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on his father's burly shoulder. "Dad."  
  
The older man snarled, spun round and threw a left hook at his jaw. Years of fighting vampires and demons had honed Xander's reflexes to a fine point and he slid smoothly beneath the clumsy attack before straightening and ramming the point of his elbow into his father's forehead. Smirking slightly at his father's surprised expression, 'til now he'd never fought back but then again he'd never been fighting for anybody else before, he followed up with a fist into his father's gut. As his dad doubled up, Xander grabbed his head and pulled it down, face first, onto his rising knee before smashing a right into the crumpling man's jaw.  
  
Before his father's body had hit the carpet, Xander was crouched over the girl. "Faith, why didn't you stop him?"  
  
"No," the pale-faced brunette shook her head wildly. "Can't hurt anybody. Can't kill anybody. That's wrong."  
  
Seeing the girl was about to go into hysterics, the youth pulled her jeans back up and began fastening them. "Listen, I'll go and get the others."  
  
"No! No!" The girl's voice raised several octaves and her already panic- stricken eyes widened still further. "You can't, B wants to kill me."  
  
"That's not -," Xander's voice trailed off. Buffy did want the dark Slayer dead, particularly after she slept with Riley. "So why did you come here?"  
  
The girl gazed up at him, desperation in her liquid brown eyes. "Because I knew you'd help me. Won't you?" The brunette's voice was small, child- like.  
  
Xander hesitated. He realised that he was stood on the edge of a precipice. He could side with the girl who'd tried to kill him. Or he could side with his friends. With Buffy, Willow, Giles and Riley who ignored him, and with Anaya who somehow managed to make him feel cheaper than Faith had ever managed. Or he could do what he always did and help the person who needed him. Finally he nodded, there was only one decision he could make. He started to stand only for the Slayer to pull him back down, her eyes frightened, desperate. "No, please Xand. I'll be good, I promise. I'll do anything you want, just don't leave me. I'm sor -."  
  
The pain he saw in her face and heard in her voice tore at his heart. Xander forced a smile. "Hey, hey," he soothed. "We can't stay here, it's not safe. I just need to get some things in a bag. Then we're leaving."  
  
Faith's expression went from scared to terrified. "I can't see them."  
  
"No, not to see Buffy," Xander replied. "To see," he really hated this idea but unfortunately it made sense. Who else could stand up to Buffy or knew more about redemption? "To see Angel."  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"Yeah," he gently brushed some stray hair strands off the girl's face. "It'll be okay. Just give me a few minutes."  
  
"Take me with you."  
  
"Faith -."  
  
"If I let you go, you'll run away from me, everybody does."  
  
The young man ground his teeth together in anger. What sort of life had made her so frightened to trust? "All righty then." He cradled the girl in his arms and lifted her, cringing inwardly at her gauntness. She'd never been a big girl and eight months in a coma combined with her Slayer metabolism had left her seriously under-weight. He winked. "I've seen your bed, now you get to see mine, it's only fair. Come on Faith, it'll only take a few minutes to pack and then we're off. Five by five?"  
  
The brunette smiled weakly at her catchphrase and nodded. "Five by five."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander glanced across to the sleeping Slayer sat beside him as he reached L.A.'s outskirts. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered leaving his home for positively the last time. He'd cleaned out his dad's wallet and the money remaining from his summer stripping job as well as stealing his dad's pick-up. Somehow he doubted the old bastard would report the theft.  
  
"Xander."  
  
He smiled at the wakening raven-haired beauty. "Yes Faith." The girl looked exhausted, but then he guessed eight months in a coma followed quickly by a nervous breakdown would do that to a person.  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Not long now," he promised. Seeing Angel really wasn't something he was looking forward to but he needed the ensoulled vampire to provide a level of protection that he couldn't hope to. Besides Deadboy would understand what Faith was going through better than anybody he knew except perhaps G- Man, and he wasn't a feasible candidate. "See, that's his offices right there. Cordy sent me a card and everything, her working for Deadboy can you bel -."  
  
The Slayer's tremulous voice cut through his babbling. "He'll help me?"  
  
Xander smiled at the brunette with a confidence he didn't feel, even as he discreetly checked the safety on his Desert Eagle .50. "I'm sure he will." If he didn't, Xander was prepared to shoot and run. Bullets didn't kill vamps but they sure as shit slowed them down. "If he won't we'll go onto whatever city you want."  
  
"Five by five, but you won't leave me?"  
  
"I'll stay for as long as you want me to."  
  
* * *  
  
"Xander!"  
  
"The same, Deadboy in?"  
  
"Angel!"  
  
"Cordelia what have I told you about scream -," the vampire finally registered the sight of the biggest pain in his ass stood in his office. "What do I have to do to get rid of you? Move states, countries?" He sighed in frustration. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"They're going to kill her." The exhausted-looking man's face twisted in anguish as he glanced down to the slight figure clinging onto him for support.  
  
The vampire's eyes widened. "Faith?"  
  
"Who's going to kill her? Can't Buffy help?"  
  
At the mention of Buffy's name, Faith whimpered in terror and the young man holding her grimaced. "It's her we're running from."  
  
Angel's mouth dropped open. "How? Why? What? When?" Last thing he knew, Buffy had felt tremendous guilt over the circumstances leading to Faith's coma and was hoping desperately for her return to health, for a chance to help her brunette counterpart.  
  
The young man let out a weary laugh. "Hold on Big & Broody, Faith needs to rest. Have you somewhere she can rest?"  
  
Angel nodded dazedly. "Through here," he gestured towards his living quarters.  
  
Xander nodded at him before glancing down at the pale, thin girl holding onto him. "Come on Faith."  
  
* * *  
  
Once the girl was settled in the room, Xander returned. "So what's been happening?" the vampire demanded.  
  
Angel listened in disbelief as the story of Faith's body-swapping experience came out and her ordeal at the hands of Xander's father. "Your dad tried to -."  
  
"I know," Xander flushed red. "Let's not get into my wonderful parents right now."  
  
"Okay, sorry." Angel looked at his team. "What do you say? Help Faith or not?"  
  
Wesley shrugged. "I was a failure as her Watcher maybe I can do better as a friend."  
  
Angel nodded. "Cordy?"  
  
Cordelia grinned. "Hey, Princess Buffy's pissed at her, Faith can't be all bad. What about you boss?"  
  
The vampire paused in thought. On the one hand he was enraged at Faith for what she had done, to him, to Buffy, even her attack on Xander - although maybe not so much that. On the other hand, he'd done far worse. He closed his eyes as his torturing of Drusilla and his massacre of his own family flashed before him. If he believed that he deserved a shot at redemption then surely a misguided child deserved the same. "We'll help protect her, Xander."  
  
"Thank you." The young man's shoulders slumped in relief, as if releasing a great weight. "Is it alright if I go sit with her?" 


	2. 2

Starting Over 2 - Confrontations  
  
"I'd never thought I'd see Xander turn on Buffy like that."  
  
Angel shook his head at Cordy's comment. "You've got it wrong Cordy. Xander's doing just what he thinks is right - like always. The Master, the hospital, the zombies. The right thing - whatever the price to him."  
  
Wesley raised a timid hand. "Excuse me. I'm not familiar with any of these incidents."  
  
"A few months after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, Giles and I found a prophecy that said she would die at the hands of the Master. Everybody fell into a great depression," the vampire allowed himself a wry smile at the memory. "Not Xander though, he broke into my place, forced me to guide him into the Master's lair at the point of a crucifix and revived her after the Master had drowned her. That's how the second Slayer line was started."  
  
"So that's what happened!" The Watcher's eyes were alight with interest.  
  
"Excuse me, as a Watcher I'd have thought you know?"  
  
"No Angel," Wesley shook his head, a look of distaste on his scholarly face. "I've come to believe that Quentin Travers censored much of Giles' reports, omitting most mention of both yourself and the other Scoobies' contribution to Miss Summers' Slaying. That's at least part of the reason," the man flushed in embarrassment, "I treated you all so shamefully when I was in Sunnydale."  
  
"Sounds just like the Nazi party," the two men stared in surprise at the former cheerleader. "What? I did stay awake through some lessons you know!"  
  
"Quite," the Watcher stared uncertainly at the cheerleader for a second before turning back to him. "And the other incidents?"  
  
"While I was Angelus, Buffy caught a flu bug and I took advantage of it to beat her pretty badly. If it hadn't been for Xander putting my head in a sack and kneeing me in the face, I'd have turned her there and then. The next night I showed up at the hospital only to find Xander waiting for Angelus. He backed him off." Angel shook his head in admiration, he might not much like the boy but he never doubted his courage or determination.  
  
"And did he catch hell from his girlfriend about that," Cordy added dryly, "but what about the zombies I haven't heard about this?"  
  
"I don't have the full story here, just what Willie told me one night. As far as I know, the night the rest of us battled the Sisterhood of Jhe, Xander single-handedly saved Faith from an Apocalypse demon by ramming it with a car." "A car," Wesley raised an eyebrow. "I must have missed their inclusion as a weapon in the Council Handbook."  
  
Angel allowed himself a short laugh. "We all know how much the Council knows. After that he slept with Faith, out-witted and killed a gang of four zombies, as well as apparently disconnecting a bomb in the basement with enough power to both destroy the school and blow open the hellmouth."  
  
"Bloody hell! Saves the life of a beautiful woman, sleeps with her, and then single-handedly saves the world. Sounds almost like James Bond."  
  
"James Bond?" He exchanged an amused look with Cordelia. "Hardly, after all -."  
  
"The love spell!" The two of them collapsed in laughter.  
  
Wesley glanced at them in confusion. "Love spell? What are you talking about?"  
  
Suddenly Cordelia doubled up in pain. "Damn these visions!" The cheerleader cursed as she straightened, her eyes filled with fear. "Buffy's here."  
  
* * *  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
Angel glanced at Cordelia and Wesley hiding behind him. "You can't have her."  
  
Scorn entered the blonde's eyes. "You're going to stop me?" she scoffed. "You're going to fight me for that slut?"  
  
"He might not. But I will. And you'll have to kill me to get her."  
  
The blonde's eyes widened. "Xander, what are you doing here?"  
  
The vampire let one eye slide over to the closed door that Xander stood guarding. What he saw froze his blood. The only previous time he'd seen that look of grim purpose in Xander's eyes was when the boy had backed his soulless alter-ego down. That night he'd known the boy would kill or die without a second thought to protect those he cared about. And now he'd decided to protect Faith.  
  
The Slayer's face paled. "I don't know what you're doing here but that whore has to pay."  
  
Riley chipped in with what Angel guessed was a typically inane comment. "You tell him Buffy."  
  
Xander laughed. "You know Buffy, it's true what they say about Iowa farmboys, their IQs are smaller than their boot sizes. Oh, and their ma is also their sister." Angel bit back a laugh, well that was accurate.  
  
"Harris, I'm warning you."  
  
"Shut it Riley," Xander raised an automatic and pointed it at the rapidly paling soldier. "I'd think twice about shooting Buffy. You, I'd consider it a pleasure and a service to mankind."  
  
Angel decided to cut in. "I'd listen to him if I were you farmboy. Two hundred and fifty years and he's the only ordinary mortal to have gone nose to nose with me and walked away."  
  
"Yeah." The soldier smirked. "Maybe we should make it two."  
  
Angel laughed before covering the space separating them in a blur, slapping the soldier across the face, grabbing him round the throat and throwing him across the room, over the reception desk, through the door and into the corridor outside. "I really don't think so."  
  
"Angel, I thought you'd promised to stop doing that! You know how much the doors cost."  
  
"Sorry Cordy."  
  
Buffy glared at him for a second before turning back towards Xander. "You can't protect her, she's murdered people. She hurt me, she betrayed me."  
  
"Well sob, sob," Xander growled sarcastically. "The tearful story of princess Buffy. Sorry to tell you but contrary to popular Sunnydale belief, the world doesn't revolve around you."  
  
"I can't believe you're defending her. She tried to kill you. Hurt Willow, tried to destroy the ."  
  
"And so did Angelus, Angelus hurt Willow, tried to kill me - but we weren't allowed to kill him. Why? Because Princess Buffy said so. Angelus butchered over twenty people while he was in Sunnydale alone, killed the love of the nearest thing to a father you have and tortured that same man. Nearly killed you when -." Xander's words trailed off.  
  
"Tell her." Hearing a recounting of his crimes hurt but Angel knew that Buffy had to be made to understand that Faith deserved a second chance. And more to the point, that she would have to kill Xander to get Faith. He just hoped his ex would decide that was a price not worth paying.  
  
"Would have killed you when you were in hospital with the flu if I hadn't stopped."  
  
The dazed Slayer looked towards him for confirmation. Angel nodded. "Without a cross or anything."  
  
"Xander-."  
  
The young man's tirade cut the Slayer off. "Who saved you when the Master drowned you? Who came up with the plan to slay the Judge? Who stopped Teri from killing you when Angelus turned her? Who dealt with the gang of zombies planning to blow up the school while you were busy battling the Sisterhood of Jhe? Who came up with the plan to kill the Mayor? Who led the students at graduation? I'm not the dead weight that you think I am, but if you don't need me, fine - you can go to hell. Faith does, and the only way you're getting her is through me." Angel winced as the youth knocked the safety off his gun for emphasis.  
  
"Fine, well don't you or that bitch ever come crawling back to -."  
  
"Sunnydale?" Xander laughed bitterly. "Nobody, least of all you, is stopping me from going anywhere I want. But why would I want to go back to Sunnydale? Back to the abusive drunk parents? Back to the dead end job? Back to the girlfriend who only uses me as a damn gigolo?"  
  
"What!!!!"  
  
"Cordelia, please don't yell down my ear." Angel bit back a chuckle at both the outraged look on Cornelia's face and the pained one on Wesley's.  
  
"Back to my oh so judgemental friends who consent to keep me around as the comic relief? As for Faith," Xander glanced at Riley's crumpled body in the corridor and laughed scornfully. "Don't worry about her. Once she remembers sleeping with the village idiot, even in your body, she'll probably die of shame. After all even Deadboy's got more life in him than farmboy."  
  
"Ouch," Angel winced at the comment. Even Xander's back-handed compliments hurt.  
  
His ex's face had turned red. "Xander, I'm warning -."  
  
"No Buffy, I'm warning you," Angel glanced towards the young man. All traces of humour had left Xander's tone, leaving only a killer's coldness. "You or soldier boy even look at Faith wrong and you're dead. She's under my protection now. Now pick him up and get out."  
  
The vampire waited until the Slayer and her still unconscious boyfriend had left before turning to Xander. Seeing that the boy was still full of tension he decided to try and lighten the mood. "You didn't mention that Faith had slept with Riley." "That a problem?" Xander glared at him suspiciously.  
  
"No, but you and Riley - Faith's got some serious bad taste."  
  
"Hey! I dated Xander for a year."  
  
Angel raised an eyebrow at Cordelia. "I rest my case."  
  
A smile tugged at the young man's lips. "Didn't Faith try to seduce you?"  
  
Angel grinned. "Ah, but I'm the exception that proves the rule." 


	3. 3

Starting Over 3 - Two Departing Sunnydale  
  
Giles winced as the sound of his front door being slammed reverberated through his apartment. One day she'd break his bloody windows. The Watcher glanced across at Willow who looked terrified and Spike who was smirking.  
  
"The little bitch! And that idiot!" Buffy screamed as she stormed into the apartment, a battered-looking Riley on her heels.  
  
"She caught you with one of your goats again Farm Boy?" Spike shut up at a glare from Buffy.  
  
"So what happened?" Giles asked neutrally. He hoped with all his heart that Buffy hadn't done anything she'd end up regretting.  
  
"I tracked that little slut down to Angel's office. And then Angel hit Riley and Xander, Xander drew a gun on me!"  
  
Xander? The Watcher's eyes widened. He hadn't realised that the young man had gone, but then why should he? He'd barely noticed when he was around recently. The Englishman shot a warning glance to a chuckling Spike.  
  
"Xander! Why would Xander go with that skank!" Willow demanded hotly.  
  
"The little whore probably promised to open her legs for him again," Buffy snorted disdainfully.  
  
"Jealous?" muttered Spike before wincing at a slap to the back of the head from Buffy.  
  
In Giles' opinion it was considerably more likely that Xander thought Faith was worth helping. It was a viewpoint that he had considerable sympathy with but hadn't bothered to voice. What was the point - since when had Buffy taken his advice or anybody's except her own and maybe Riley's? The Watcher listened tight-lipped as the character assassination of Xander and the threats to Faith continued. Finally he'd had enough. "Get out."  
  
Buffy and Willow looked up in surprise. "We haven't finished yet," pouted Buffy.  
  
"Oh I rather think you have." The Watcher corrected with a glare. "I'm sick of listening to you denigrate Xander. So if you want to continue talking about that marvellous young man in such a manner you can bugger off."  
  
The two girls looked abashed but Riley snorted. "Harris, he's just a -."  
  
"Shut your bloody hole," Giles felt the Ripper inside of him begin to bubble up. "Finish that sentence about a young man who's killed more demons than you've bloody seen you prat and I'll make sure the only way you leave here is on a stretcher."  
  
The Watcher was pleased to see the colour drain from Riley's face and the soldier's jaw clamp shut. The Englishman turned to the girls. "You still here? Take this pillock with you and get out! And don't come back until you're willing to moderate your opinions about both Xander and Faith!"  
  
* * *  
  
Giles sighed as he started to pack his bags, taking care to ensure all his most important texts and belongings were secured. He didn't want to leave Sunnydale but with his influence over Buffy waning and Finn's growing, there was little point in staying. Perhaps he could head to L.A. and offer to be Faith's Watcher. Although why she should accept he had no idea - not after the mess he'd made of the job last time. If she didn't want him, he could always return to England.  
  
Suddenly his musings were interrupted by the sound of clapping behind him. Turning, he saw Spike grinning at him. "Bloody hell that was more fun than chowing down on a whole cheerleading squad."  
  
"Spike what are you still doing here?" Giles groaned inwardly. Sodding marvellous, stuck with the neutered vampire. "I thought I told you to leave."  
  
"Go with the witless wanker and his two groupies? No bloody chance!" the bleached blonde snorted. "So when we leaving?"  
  
"Leaving?" Giles tried for an innocent expression. "Who said I'm going anywhere?"  
  
Spike laughed. "I've been watching you pack for the last half hour. You've just been so engrossed you didn't realise I was still here."  
  
The Watcher shook his head in disgust, being distracted was a good way of getting yourself killed in Sunnydale. "So why do you want to leave Sunnydale? And more to the point, why on earth would I want to take you with me?"  
  
For once the vampire's face lost its habitual cockiness. "Without the whelp, it isn't fun around here. He's the only one nearly capable of matching insults with me. And he's got the biggest set of stones out of all of you, saved all of your lives a bunch of times even though he hasn't got a calling or a special power."  
  
"You like him!" An unwilling smile tugged at the Watcher's lips..  
  
"Take that -. Oh, he's all right." The vampire shrugged. "And if you leave I lose an important source of blood and the Initiative are more likely to come after Hostile 17." "All right, so you've convinced me why you want to leave. Now why should I take your undead arse with me?"  
  
"Two reasons. Firstly, unless I miss my guess you'll be heading to L.A. Can you imagine how pissed Peaches would be if I turned up?"  
  
Giles chuckled, there were few things on earth that gave him more pleasure than annoying Spike's grand-sire. "Tempting, but not enough. And your second reason?"  
  
"I've hidden your car keys."  
  
The Watcher glanced towards the key hook and cursed. "You sneaky bastard!"  
  
Spike grinned. "I'm a vampire, what did you expect?"  
  
"Oh very well," Giles gave in with ill grace. "If you help me pack then we'll go as soon as we're ready."  
  
"Not a good idea, best wait until tonight."  
  
"Why?" In his book, the sooner the better.  
  
"Because those dozy Initiative wankers have had you under surveillance for the past fortnight. I'm figuring with your demonology and vampire knowledge, you try and leave they might try and stop you. We've got more chance of slipping away at night."  
  
"Damn it," Giles thought for a second before nodding. "Tonight it is then."  
  
* * *  
  
"Professor Walsh?"  
  
"Yes Agent Finn?"  
  
Riley faltered for a second under his boss' laser-gun stare before continuing. "I have an idea regarding the Slayer project."  
  
"Really," the woman smiled thinly. "Go on."  
  
"Although Summers is at least in part protected by the Council of Watchers it turns out there's a second Slayer, Faith. This Slayer is considered rouge."  
  
"Interesting, continue."  
  
"Well, apparently the Council have already tried and failed to eliminate Faith. This makes me think that they'd turn a blind eye to Faith being studied." The professor smiled, for a few seconds she drummed her fingers thoughtfully on her office desk. "And where is this Faith exactly?"  
  
Riley hesitated, here was the tricky part. "In L.A., under the protection of the vampire Angelus."  
  
"Angelus is known as a particularly nasty vampire," the professor commented, her brow furrowing in thought. "But better one vampire than the entire Council, we're not ready to take them on yet. Organise a surveillance to investigate the viability of snatching this Faith." Riley hid a smile as the professor strode away. He'd teach that bitch and Harris that nobody messed with him. 


	4. 4

Starting Over 4 - Darkest Secrets  
  
"Angel, have you got a minute?"  
  
The ensoulled vampire paused in his kata and nodded, curious at what made the youngster sound more nervous than he had the previous day when he'd faced down Buffy. "What do you want Xander?"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
The vampire raised an eyebrow. Curiouser and curiouser, he and Xander had never managed a meaningful conversation in all the time they'd known each other. He gestured towards a workout bench. "Take a seat."  
  
After hesitating for a second the youth obeyed. Long seconds passed before the teenager spoke. "It's my fault you were sent to hell."  
  
Angel's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I knew Will was going to re-try the soul restoration spell but didn't tell Buffy."  
  
It was an effort, but Angel managed to force down the demonic rage surging up inside him. After all he'd done a great deal worse to those far more undeserving than him. "Why?"  
  
"Fear."  
  
The younger man's one word answer threw him. It wasn't at all what he expected - jealousy, hatred, anger, maybe. "Fear?"  
  
"I was afraid that if I told Buff, she wouldn't go all out, that she'd stall and you'd defeat her. End the world, even my crappy part of it."  
  
The vampire took a calming breath. The boy had done the right thing and, judging from what he'd said, for the right reasons. Even if it did hurt him. Suddenly he realised the boy had stood and walked to the dojo door. "Where are you going?"  
  
The youth stopped but didn't turn. "To pack my stuff and leave."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Xander still didn't turn to face him. "Well you won't want me here now will you? Not that you ever did, I'm just your ex's annoying former friend. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make Faith leave if she wants to stay though."  
  
"Why did you tell me?" Now the boy did turn to face him. "Because it would have been wrong staying here, under your roof, and not telling you." The youth turned back to the door but before he could take more than a couple more steps towards it, Angel was in the way.  
  
"You're not going anywhere."  
  
Xander's face paled. Clenching his fists, the younger man stared up defiantly at him. "You want a fight Angel? 'Cause that's what you'll get. Not even my dad gets to hit me for free, not anymore."  
  
Pain lanced through the vampire's heart at Xander's last words. All at once he was assaulted by memories of his own belt-wielding father. "Sit down Xander," he said with gentle firmness. When the youth had obeyed, he continued. "Who says you have to leave?"  
  
Xander raised an eyebrow. "I did send you to hell."  
  
"True," Angel nodded thoughtfully. "But the way I see it you did the right thing," he chuckled darkly. "For the world at least."  
  
"So I can stay?"  
  
"Xander, Faith needs you here."  
  
The younger man snorted. "Sure she does. You're the world's leading redemption expert and Wes is this mega-brain with all the knowledge about Slayers and their problems. Me?" the youth shrugged. "I'm just the Zeppo, donut boy."  
  
Angel winced inwardly at the boy's lack of self-esteem. "For god's sake Xander," he said softly. "It wasn't me or Wes Faith came to for help. She came to you, she believes in, trusts, you. Now I've never known you betray a trust, you're not going to start now are you?" He smiled at the boy's slow shake of the head, sometimes the longest journey starts with the smallest step. "So what are you going to do for work?"  
  
"Fast food counters, construction maybe."  
  
"Wrong."  
  
"Uh?"  
  
The vampire chuckled; he was going to enjoy this. "I'm going to hire you as a member of Angel Investigations."  
  
As expected, Xander looked dumbfounded. "Me? Why?"  
  
"A number of reasons. Once Faith is fit, having a Slayer on staff will give us serious creditability and I doubt Faith will agree without your inclusion."  
  
"Great, hanger on again."  
  
"Shut up and listen. Secondly, I didn't agree with Buffy pushing you out last year but went along with it -."  
  
"Anything for a quiet life."  
  
"Exactly. You're resourceful, brave, and quick-witted."  
  
"Hey," Xander broke in with a grin. "Now that Will's probably vacated the presidency of my fan club on the orders of General Summers you could apply."  
  
Angel chuckled. "Hardly. You're also hot-tempered, impulsive, and immature. But you're a good man in a fight and I know you won't let me or the others down."  
  
"Thanks Angel," the youth looked embarrassed. "This doesn't mean we're buddies?"  
  
"Hell no, let's keep this an employee-employer relationship," Angel chuckled; if nothing else Xander was entertaining. Something else occurred to the vampire. "Tell me about the soldier that possessed you two Halloweens ago."  
  
The youth's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Why?"  
  
"Humour me."  
  
"Okay." Angel watched as the teenager concentrated. "Sgt. Joe Dawson born in Brooklyn, 1952. Signed up 1970. Was one of the few rookies to be accepted into an elite Special Forces unit working behind enemy lines in Vietnam, Largos, and Cambodia. Was decorated six times in four tours. Specialist in sniping, explosives, guerrilla warfare, and unarmed combat. After leaving the military in '75 toured the Orient for 4 years, learning the martial arts. Returned to the U.S. in," surprise flooded the young man's face. "Shit."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Throughout the 80s, Dawson worked as a demon hunter. Even worked with two Slayers, in New Orleans in '82 for eight months and in Chicago for eleven months from early '89."  
  
"How did he die?"  
  
"His memories end sometime in '93. So why do you want to know all this?"  
  
The vampire didn't answer immediately. His ex had to be a complete airhead not to utilise this resource. If he could get Xander to tip in more regularly to the soldier within him he could be a real asset. "I'm going to train you."  
  
"Oh no, that look on your face. You're sure you're not Angelus?"  
  
The vampire smiled. If nothing else having Xander around would be interesting. Oh god, Xander and Cordy, the vampire shuddered. Maybe hell hadn't been such a bad place after all.  
  
* * *  
  
"How you doing beautiful?"  
  
Faith smiled wanly. Whenever a man had complimented her in the past it was because they wanted something, usually her body. Not Xand though, sweet, gentle Xand. She still didn't understand why he'd agreed to her desperate pleadings for help. "X..Xand, can I ask you something?"  
  
The man smiled before brushing her hair off her face. "Whatever you want."  
  
The girl smiled at the comfort she got from her friend's touch, knowing that she could trust him. "W..why are you helping me?"  
  
The youth's expression darkened to such an extent that the girl recoiled in fright until the young man pulled her close. "It's not you I'm angry at Faith," he whispered in her ear. "It's our parents. Hell, our childhoods are so similar that we could almost be brother and sister."  
  
"That's not what you said that night in my hotel room," for the first time in a long while she giggled, then laughed at the flushed red in her friend's cheeks.  
  
"Hey! I'm trying to get deep here!" her friend chuckled before turning serious again. "I was lucky enough to have some friends and a great father figure in G-Man otherwise I might have ended up an abusive drunk like dad. You didn't have my luck."  
  
"D..do you miss them?"  
  
Xander's eyes filled with pain. "I miss who they were, not what they've become. Truth is over the past year I've gotten pretty damn sick of the way they've decided that I'm not good enough to help."  
  
"If you were -."  
  
Xander ended her question with a finger to the lips. "What they were planning to do to you was wrong and I wouldn't have let them, friends or no friends. I know you can be a good person. All you need is some help and a chance."  
  
The girl's heart blossomed. He believed in her, after she nearly killed him, hurt his friends, and even tried to help end the world. He still believed in her. Smirking, the brunette moved closed to her friend, snuggling her head into his chest. She would show him he was right. Because she was falling in love with him.  
  
* * *  
  
"How's she doing?"  
  
Xander glanced at Sunnydale's former head cheerleader. He was surprised to see very real concern in his ex's beautiful face. "Better than yesterday. Still skittish but more coherent."  
  
"Can't imagine the brash hellcat Faith as skittish," Cordy commented.  
  
"A lot of that brashness was just an act to hide behind."  
  
Cordy nodded. "We both know about acts."  
  
Xander's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected such insight from the former cheerleader, but she was right. He'd hidden the shame of his abusive childhood behind a layer of buffoonery while Cordelia had hidden her own loneliness behind a snobbish exterior.  
  
The cheerleader clearly registered his shock because she let out a laugh. "I'm not quite the self-obsessed, insensitive bitch you remember."  
  
He smiled. "I can see that," the smile wavered. "I've never apol-."  
  
It was his turn to be stopped by a finger to the lips. "Because of you I lost my position, my friends," the cheerleader began sternly before smiling. "But I also gained self-respect, true confidence, and the ability to judge people not by their wallet and clothes but by what's really important - their heart. I really enjoyed the year we had together, even if you didn't listen to a word I said about clothes," he chuckled. "We weren't meant to be, Geek Boy."  
  
Xander grinned at hearing one of his high school nicknames. "You know I've missed the insults. I'm going to enjoy hearing them now that I'm an employee of Angel Investigations."  
  
"Really!" Cordy's beaming smile only lasted a second before she pouted. "I'll have to talk to Angel. Your salary is so not coming out of mine."  
  
Xander chuckled. "Apparently you haven't changed that much."  
  
His ex glared at him for a few seconds before speaking. "Do you think Faith would mind if I sat with her?"  
  
"Sit with her, why?" Faith and Cordy had always had a mutual hate society going.  
  
"I remember back in Sunnydale. The three of us were the Scooby Outsiders really. You because you were Mr. Slightly Less Than Average, I was only tolerated as your girl-friend and Faith because she was Jenny Come-Lately. I remember how desperately she tried to fit in at first but they, Buffy and Willow, decided she wasn't good enough. Anything she did was down to them telling her she didn't fit, she really wanted to be accepted - all they did was push her away. Hell, in the end all they wanted her for was the scut work they didn't want to do, so that Buff could go away to college," Cordelia shook her head in disgust. "Not that Giles and I were much better. The only people who really tried were you and Angel."  
  
His ex clearly had hidden depths, her thoughts very nearly mirrored his own. "I'm sure she'd love a new friend. Just be gentle, okay."  
  
Cordy winked at him. "Well Xander," she purred. "Surely you remember how gentle I can be?" 


	5. Ignored Warnings

Starting Over 5 - Ignored Warnings  
  
"So I say just three?"  
  
Wesley and Cordelia collapsed in laughter at the end of Faith's tale. The Slayer beamed at her friends. Ten weeks had passed since Xander had half- carried, half-dragged her into Angel's office. Since that time she'd become a valued member of Angel's team. She'd regained her sense of purpose and confidence while tempering her previous arrogance. And for the first time in her life she was part of a real, loving family. Even more importantly, she had Xander.  
  
Sweet, gentle Xander who patiently nursed her back to health after her breakdown without asking for anything in return. Gentlemanly, shy Xander who'd blushed and stammered when he'd asked her out on her first ever date, three weeks ago. And had followed it up by taking her on a horse and carriage to the classiest restaurant she'd ever been to, the sort of place she'd used to dream of stealing scraps from when she'd been a runaway. Tough, fearless Xander who fought by their side, his natural skills augmented both by the Special Forces soldier inside of him and Angel's training.  
  
The Slayer was distracted from thoughts of her man by a slight sound, too indistinct for any but her ears to hear, at one of the upstairs windows. "What the fu-."  
  
Suddenly the windows shattered and the office door crashed open. From both directions came balaclavaed men in fatigues. Muttering curses under her breath, the Slayer sprang into action. Her left foot flickered out catching the nearest soldier in the stomach, lifting him off the ground and sending him crashing into a near-by bookcase that crumpled under the impact. "Shit, G and Wes are going to be lecturing me about looking after books again," Faith muttered as she eyed the books spilling out all over the floor before sidestepping a right, grabbing her would-be attacker's arm and flipping him onto the ground.  
  
Seeing some sort of gun being levelled at her, Faith dived to the ground and rolled away from the blast. Leaping to her feet she sent a kick flicking backwards, connecting with bone-breaking impact to the gunman's wrist, before spinning round and shattering his jaw with a left hook. As the man toppled to the ground, the man beside him lunged forward and grabbed her in a bear-hug. Faith grinned evilly. "Well that was stupid." The Slayer drove her head backwards, sending the back of her skull crunching into the man's nose. The man fell to his knees with a grunt, giving the Slayer the opportunity to finish him off with a spin kick to the side of the head. Faith surged forward to attack another of the invaders only for the man she'd thrown to the floor to grab her foot. It only took a half-second for Faith to kick loose, but the instant was enough for her to be caught in the sights of three stun blasters. The Slayer screamed as the bolts hit her. Her body convulsing from the shock to her nervous system, the Slayer slumped to the floor, unconscious.  
  
* * * "Holy crap." Graham commented as he pulled off his mask. "She's a looker, real livewire too. Bet she's great in the sack."  
  
Forrest laughed. "Can we take the other babe too? She'd be great for some R & R."  
  
Riley forced a stern expression as he removed his balaclava. This would show Harris not to mess with him. "Remember our mission objective people," he poked Faith's limp body with his foot. "We got the bitch, now let's cuff her and get out of here."  
  
"Not bloody likely!" Finn's head snapped up. He watched in open-mouthed amazement as a pyjama-clad Giles vaulted over the second floor banister and plunged down onto a stunned Forrest. The two hit the floor with a bone- jarring thud, Giles landing on top. The enraged Englishman drove his head into Forrest's face three times before leaping to his feet, a look of inhuman fury on the Brit's face as he started towards him. "You gutless bastard!"  
  
Snapping out of his trance, Riley fired his blaster into the Englishman and watched with relief as he fell to the ground. He'd read the Professor's file on Giles, but to actually see Ripper in person was terrifying to behold.  
  
"You bastard!" Forrest stumbled to his feet, his face a broken, bloody mess. The trooper aimed his blaster at the former librarian and set it to kill.  
  
"No!"  
  
Forrest glared at him. "Have you seen what he did to my face!"  
  
"Summers doesn't give a shit about Faith. If she finds out we've killed Giles though.."  
  
"He's seen our faces man," Graham broke in.  
  
"Doesn't matter. If he contacts Buffy for help, he won't get it, not for the bitch. She might be pissed about us stunning him, but I can smooth that over. And if the others come, well we'll capture Angelus and Hostile 17, and kill the rest."  
  
Forrest nodded. "Makes sense."  
  
"Good, then grab her body and let's get out of here."  
  
* * *  
  
"And so she looks at me and says only three!" Xander finished his story with a smile. He couldn't believe how well everything had turned out. He and Faith had been eagerly accepted into Angel's gang. He was no longer the Zeppo but a valued member of the team, putting Faith back together had been tough but with care and attention, they'd all played their part, they'd managed it. Without Buffy to stir the pot and with the respect he gained from training with the ensoulled vampire, he'd even grown to become firm friends with Angel. Although it was still entertaining to help Spike in baiting him. And most importantly, he had Faith.  
  
Suddenly he realised his story hadn't received the expected response. He turned towards the two vamps. "What's up?"  
  
Angel pointed towards the office building that his human eyes couldn't yet see through the night's impenetrable darkness. "The windows have been broken. Xander no -."  
  
At Angel's first words, the young man felt an icy finger run up his spine. Ignoring the danger, he ran across the busy road, causing cars to screech to a halt and drivers to curse, and drawing his Desert Eagle as he went. After a few moments he vaguely registered the presence of Angel and Spike beside him. "We said wait you bloody pillock!" Spike growled. "Scout the place out before running in!"  
  
"Screw that for a plan!" Xander snapped back, his eyes flaming angrily as he kicked the building's front door open. "Faith's inside!" his heart pounding, the young man raced up upstairs and through the office's open doorway.  
  
The office looked like a tornado had swept through it. Desks, chairs, and a bookcase were over-turned while the bodies of Giles, Wesley, and Cordy lay slowly stirring on the floor. After quickly checking that his friends weren't seriously injured, Xander hurried into their living quarters to search for his Slayer. His heart fell when his eyes confirmed what he already really knew, no Faith.  
  
Xander forced away the dizziness assaulting him. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he strode over to a now awake Wesley. "What happened? Where's Faith?"  
  
The former Watcher, his hand pressing a handkerchief onto a deep gash over his left eye, shrugged before wincing. "A dozen men in military fatigues broke through the door, windows and the skylight," Wesley glanced up at the ceiling. "As to Faith, I'm sorry Xander, I don't know."  
  
"The Initiative took her."  
  
"What!" Xander's head snapped towards Giles. "How do you know?"  
  
Giles rubbed at his head before continuing. "I was asleep when the attack began so I didn't get out here until the others had been subdued. By this time, the soldiers had removed their masks so I recognised them as that odious prat Finn and his merry band of idiots." The Watcher's face twisted in misery. "I couldn't stop them Xander, I'm sorry."  
  
"I'll phone Buffy-."  
  
"Like hell," Xander strode over to Angel and snatched the phone out of his surprised friend's hand. "The bitch is probably in on it."  
  
Angel's face contorted in rage. "Buffy's a lot of things, but she isn't cold-blooded!"  
  
"Still hung up on her?" snarled Xander. "Does Kate know?"  
  
The vampire's eyes glittered golden. "Why you -."  
  
"Shut up!" The arguing duo turned to face a crying Cordelia. "I've been beaten up and my friend's been kidnapped! And what are you two dumbasses doing? Arguing about Buffy! God it's like being back in high school!"  
  
Xander glanced at Angel. He saw the shame he felt mirrored in the vampire's face. The uneasy silence was broken by Giles. "Actually I believe both of you are correct. Buffy wouldn't have been part of this," Giles glanced around the wrecked office. "However I also believe contacting her would only lead to Riley being warned. The question is what do we do next?"  
  
"There is no we." Xander strode into the bedroom he shared with Faith. After grabbing his armoury he walked back out into the office only to find the exit blocked by Angel.  
  
"What are you going to do?" demanded Angel.  
  
"I'm going to Sunnydale to get my girl," the teenager smiled coldly. "And I'm not asking nicely."  
  
Giles spoke up from behind him. "I know I speak for the others when I say not on your own."  
  
Xander's gaze didn't move from the vampire. "This is just my fight Giles."  
  
"No it is bloody not!" Giles' angry bellow caused him to jump. "She might be your girl-friend, but she's mine and Wesley's slayer, and she's the others' friend. We are coming with you. That's what family does, it helps one another."  
  
After a second Xander nodded. "Fine. But you might not like what I'm going to do." With that warning delivered, he pushed past the suddenly gaping vampire and headed into the night. They were going to pay, every last one of them. 


	6. Lessons Hard Learnt

Starting Over 6 - Lessons Hard Learnt  
  
Riley grinned at his two buddies. After dropping off their prisoner at the holding cells they'd gone for their traditional celebratory post-op drink. Life was good, maybe Walsh would let him sit in on a few of the bitch's interrogation sessions. He'd love to watch her scream and beg.  
  
Suddenly his eyes narrowed. "Hostile 17!" He'd obviously returned looking for the brunette. Instantly the spotted vampire began running, dragging his left leg as if injured. Finn grinned, tonight was just getting better and better, time to tie up some loose ends. "After him boys!"  
  
Instantly the three soldiers charged after the vampire. Immediately Spike turned and ran into a nearby alleyway. As Riley entered the alley's mouth, he heard a noise behind him. Spinning round, he saw a huge shape tearing his fellow soldier apart.  
  
Forrest lunged at the shape but was grabbed around the throat and thrown effortlessly into the wall behind him. Graham connected with a haymaker to little effect but the shadow snatched at his arm and yanked it violently. Graham screamed as the sound of his arm breaking echoed around the alleyway. His screeching only ended when his attacker punched him into unconsciousness with a single straight right.  
  
Urine running a warm trail down his right leg, Riley turned to flee only to find his way blocked by a silhouette. "See Angel," said the figure. "Told you the stupid bastard would fall for it."  
  
Finn's mouth dropped open as the man stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the alley's solitary lamplight. It was Harris, but not the Harris of ten weeks ago. He was leaner, colder, and somehow more assured than he remembered. "Xander," he croaked.  
  
"The same," the younger man grinned. "Now all you have to do to get out of this alley is get past little old me."  
  
Riley hesitated. The soldier glanced down, somehow in the past thirty seconds somebody had removed his gun. "Need a weapon?" a combat knife clattered to the ground by his feet. "Be my guest."  
  
Instinctively Finn crouched down to pick the weapon up. Only for a foot to smash into his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Even as he attempted to shake his head clear, a pair of strong hands grabbed him around the front of his jacket, lifted him up, and slammed him into the damp wall behind him before smashing a sledge-hammer fist into his stomach.  
  
His lungs heaving, the soldier bent over and began vomiting up the four beers he'd just drunk. In mid-vomit a fist thundered into the left side of his face shattering his cheekbone. Then he was dragged upright again and staring into the eyes of a suddenly terrifying Xander. "Please," he begged through tears of pain, "no more."  
  
"This is the best the U.S. military has to offer?" his attacker taunted. "Makes you worry about the security of the nation doesn't it? So talk, where's the emergency exit to the Initiative HQ?"  
  
"I don't know argh!" the soldier let out a scream as a red-hot shot down his left hand. He glanced down in disbelief at the blood pumping out of the stump where his little finger had been.  
  
"So now you've got seven fingers and two thumbs left. Or," Riley moaned as he felt the knife jab his groin. "We could cut out the middle man, so to speak."  
  
"It's located in a tunnel near the cafeteria in the old high school," Riley babbled.  
  
"Near the Hellmouth?" Xander shook his head. "What were you guys at school - special needs? So what security do you have on the outside and the inside of the exit?"  
  
Riley felt tears begin to well. "None on the inside but a palm sensor on the outside."  
  
"A palm sensor." The young man pinning him to the wall nodded. "Then we'll have to take you with us. Or."  
  
Riley screamed as the knife tore through his right wrist, severing his hand. The last thing he saw as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness was the knife travelling towards his neck.  
  
* * *  
  
"I could just take your hand." Xander glanced up at his shocked friends as he picked the hand up from the muddy ground. Angel was staring at him with a look of astonishment, Spike with respect, Wesley was vomiting what looked to be his entire last week's food intake, and Giles, well Giles looked pissed.  
  
"You stupid pillock! Do you realise what you've just bloody done!" roared the Watcher.  
  
"Yes I do!" Xander bellowed in return before forcing his temper under control, he needed their assistance too much to piss them off. More than that, he needed them to understand. "Look, two things. Firstly, you guys go on so much about the soldier inside me, you've forgotten all about the hyena spirit that possessed me. Hyenas are pack animals, you guys are my pack and Faith," he blushed, "well she's my mate. And hyenas will do anything for their mates. Secondly, the soldier inside me has told me plenty about what goes on in these black ops facilities what sort of things the U.S. government did to convicts inside them in the seventies. More than likely they'll start by doing DNA tests, see if there's anything unique about a Slayer's DNA. Then they're going to run tests - pain tolerance, starvation, sleep depravation, that sort of fun thing. Perhaps they'll OD her on drugs to see how they affect a Slayer. Maybe they'll throw her in with soldiers, animals, and assorted demons to see what she can do. Maybe they'll pick a lucky soldier to impregnate her, see if they can breed super soldiers from her. Then maybe they'll flatline her to see if they can control whose called next and then finally they'll dissect her to see if there's anything inside her that makes her different. And if any of you think I'm going to let that happen to my girl then you don't know me at all."  
  
He closed his eyes only to open them at a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Angel who raised an eyebrow. "Now you've finished, are we going?"  
  
* * *  
  
"See, Riley did come in handy after all." The others glared at him. Xander grinned coldly before throwing the hand away. "What, you didn't expect me not to use the pun?" he grinned again as the concealed door they'd found ten minutes earlier slid open. "Spike, you and Wes stay here."  
  
"Bloody hell mate, I'm not missing out on the action."  
  
"Think about it Spike, you can't fight the humans down here. Second, I'm going to need someone to keep this door open for me."  
  
"What's this 'me'," demanded Angel, "Giles and I are coming in with you."  
  
"You're coming in with me. You're just leaving an entirely different way." Xander grinned wickedly. He really enjoyed the worried looks on the Watcher's and vampire's faces.  
  
* * *  
  
"Two heartbeats just around the corner," Angel whispered.  
  
Xander nodded his thanks before unslinging his H&K MP5.  
  
"Couldn't we just ask for their surrender?"  
  
Xander turned towards Giles, his eyes cold. "First of all, these bastards are the guys who kidnapped my girl so I'm not feeling too merciful. Second of all, hell why does there have to be second?" the man charged towards the corridor opening, his upper body twisting as he ran. As he reached the nearest edge of the opening, he opened fire, mentally thanking Giles for the glamour he'd cast disrupting the HQ's security cameras. His bullets tore into the guards, throwing them from their chairs, their guns undrawn.  
  
Once his ears had finished ringing, Xander turned to his companions. "You two continue on the main corridor, it takes you up to Lowell House, the campus house that doubles as their main entrance. They hear intruders coming out there, all hell will break loose."  
  
"Thus drawing men off you," Giles commented.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"And what will you be doing?" asked Angel.  
  
Xander glanced past the crumpled bodies and pools of blood. "Entering the belly of the beast," he replied before re-loading his MP5.  
  
* * *  
  
One guard, no real need for guns. A bit of stealth this close to the nerve centre could come in handy. Forcing a smile, Xander stepped around the corner. "Excuse me, my good man," he said in a passable imitation of the G- Man's most supercilious voice, "could you please direct me to the toilet?"  
  
"What the -," the guard lunged to his feet only to move into a tooth loosening right cross. His legs wobbly, the guard staggered backwards. Cursing slightly, Xander chased after him. Ducking under a clumsy left, Xander hammered a knee into his opponent's groin before following it up with a second knee, this time to his face.  
  
"You could have just said you didn't know," Xander said after stepping over the body. "Ah, the labs. Maybe I'll just find a bottle to pee into instead."  
  
The door flew open under the impact of a single boot. Stepping into the room, a Desert Eagle in each hand, he took out the two assistant scientists with a shot to each of their heads before striding over to a shocked Professor Walsh. "X.Xander Harris. This is a government installation."  
  
Xander smashed the butt of his right Desert Eagle into the woman's mouth, knocking teeth out and sending her crashing to the floor. He crouched over her, his eyes cold. "Ask me if I care bitch. I warned your lapdog what would happen if he tried to hurt my Faith again. Now you get to reap the whirlwind. We're going to release her."  
  
"No -."  
  
Raising his right Desert Eagle he blew a leg off a near-by table, sending the table and its contents plummeting. "Imagine the damage that could do to the human knee." He nuzzled the weeping scientist's thigh with the still smoking muzzle, burning flesh. "Or we could go straight to the practical."  
  
"Let's go." "Smart lady." Holstering his left automatic, he grabbed hold of the woman's collar and stood, dragging the scientist with him. "I thought you'd see it my way."  
  
* * *  
  
Faith huddled shivering in the corner of her cell, pulling the all-too short surgical down around her. The first thing she'd seen upon awakening was the gloating faces of Riley and his two buddies. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered the things they said they'd do to her as 'spoils of war'. She'd replied with bluster but she knew there were drugs they could give her that would make her helpless. She'd sworn she'd never be helpless again.  
  
"Hey brown-eyed girl, why the tears?"  
  
Her head snapped upwards, her heart leaping at the sight that greeted her. "Xand!"  
  
Her boyfriend winked at her. "The one and only." Her man turned to the Walsh bitch. "Unlock her."  
  
"I..I'm afraid the doors only work on a time delay."  
  
"Try again," Xander shook his head. "I'm running out of patience and I hate to break it to you but you don't have a surplus of legs."  
  
Walsh paled, her hand shaking the scientist punched a code into the door key-pad. As soon as the door sprang open, Faith rushed into Xander's arms. "They said they'd rape me," she sobbed.  
  
"Did they?" Faith looked up to see a stony-faced Xander she'd never seen before. Her boyfriend glanced towards one of the adjacent glass cages occupied by a huge green wormlike creature with a dozen eyes and a gaping mouth filled with three inch long teeth. "That a Karlosh brain-sucker?" Faith nodded numbly. "Unlock it," Xander growled at Walsh.  
  
The professor quickly obeyed. The beast crawled to the entrance, its gigantic bulk filling the open doorway. "I'm coming to eat you humans."  
  
To Faith's surprise, Xander just chuckled. "I really don't think so. I'm packing two pistols filled with incendiary rounds that'll light you up like a firework, my girl's the Slayer and," grabbing Walsh the young man threw the professor through the doorway before slamming the door shut. "I bought lunch."  
  
"Xander! You can't -," Faith's words trailed off as her boyfriend turned to her, his eyes more intense than she'd ever seen them.  
  
"That bitch would never have let it go. Her sort never learns. She'd have kept coming until either her or we were dead. And nobody hurts you." Faith swallowed, she didn't like what her Xand had done but she could accept his reasoning. Finally she nodded. "Okay boytoy so where next?"  
  
"Time to get some insurance."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander glanced across at Faith stood at the other side of the door. "On the count of three. One, two, three."  
  
The Slayer sent the door flying open with a single kick, the drugs they'd been constantly pumping through the vents in her cell to prevent her accessing her Slayer powers already wearing off. Charging in, Xander let out a curse when he was confronted by a tazer-wielding guard. No longer consumed by his earlier homicidal rage, he decided to go a non-lethal route. Grabbing the wrist of the man's tazer-arm he drove the butt of his Desert Eagle into the side of the man's head. Even as his opponent dropped he saw the command centre's engineer's lunge for the general alert button. Racing over, he stuck his automatic into the man's face. "Don't," he warned. "The life you save may be your own."  
  
The bespectacled man's eyes bulged. "I won't touch it."  
  
"Good man. Say, what's your name?"  
  
"Carter, sir."  
  
"Well Carter, I've got a job for you," Xander reached into his trenchcoat and pulled out a packet of twenty CDs. "I want you to copy the base's database and encryption program onto these."  
  
"What's this boytoy?"  
  
Xander made sure Carter had started to do what he'd been told before pulling his girlfriend into his arms and kissing her lovingly. He felt his eyes begin to glisten. "Missed you baby," he muttered hoarsely before answering her question. "The Initiative will have a ton of information on demons and vamps that we don't, could come in handy. Also, this shit will be perfect to blackmail the government into leaving us alone."  
  
"Blackmail the government?" his Slayer grinned. "Like your thinking, Xman!"  
  
A few minutes later, Carter looked up. "Finished sir."  
  
"Everything?" Carter nodded. "Start the base self destruct, then sound the general alarm. "He turned to Faith. "Girlfriend, we're out of here." 


	7. Unwilling Bridges

Starting Over 7 - Unwilling Bridges  
  
"You killed him."  
  
Xander's heart missed a beat as he recognised the small figure approaching him. He was dead, Buffy, for all her so-called morals, was going to kill him. He smiled inwardly, but Faith was still alive, that was a trade he was willing to make. He'd had an extra week with the woman he loved.  
  
The youth dropped the shopping bag he'd been carrying and pushed it away with his feet to give himself some fighting space. His eyes still on the advancing woman he pulled off his trenchcoat and draped it across some near- by trashcans.  
  
He was under no illusions. Thanks to the memories of Joe Dawson and Angel's training, he doubted there were more than a handful of ordinary mortals in the entire state who could take him in a fair fight. Against a Slayer, he wouldn't last more than a minute. He was probably the better technical fighter but Buffy's strength, speed, durability, and agility were too much for any normal human to overcome.  
  
"What are you doing?" the blonde facing him raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I hope you weren't seriously expecting me to present my head on a platter?" he replied, already his blood was pounding. God, he wished he'd told Faith he loved her before leaving this morning.  
  
"I'm not going to kill you, not yet anyway. I want to know why first," the blonde replied softly. "I need to understand."  
  
Xander glanced at the golden-haired Slayer before nodding. She wasn't lying; he could see the sincerity in her eyes, eyes he'd spent many hours staring into. Grabbing his coat and shopping, he nodded at the Slayer. "Okay Summers, there's a place a few streets away where we can get a little privacy." Turning, he headed back out of the alley.  
  
* * *  
  
Summers. Buffy felt a wave of pain run through her at the cold way one of her oldest friends had spoken her name. Realising he was getting away from her, she rushed to catch up.  
  
"So Xander does Faith know about this cutie?" asked the balding black man stood behind the café counter.  
  
Her companion let out a harsh laugh that cut right through her. "Trust me; Faith doesn't have to worry about that one little bit." Xander shook his head. "No this is strictly business, room in the back free, Smokes?"  
  
"For you Xander always." The man lifted the counter top and led them through to the back. After taking their order the man disappeared.  
  
"So how come we're getting the red carpet Xander?"  
  
Xander stared blankly at her for a few seconds before replying. "Three weeks ago, Faith and I were coming back from a date when we saw half a dozen vampires about to chow down on this place's staff and customers, so we stopped them." Her former friend's eyes were filled with anger. "They were grateful to us for saving their lives. Some people are funny like that."  
  
They were dating? Buffy glanced away to keep him from seeing her shock. "So why did you kill Riley?" she was surprised at how steady her voice sounded.  
  
"He kidnapped Faith with a dozen strong Special Forces team and took her to the Initiative HQ for testing. When she woke up your boyfriend and his two cronies touched her and threatened to rape her." Rage filled the young man's voice and face, shocking her with the intensity. "Nobody lays a hand on my girl without her say-so. And if you've got a problem with me killing that piece of crap, than that's fine. Only let's take it outside, I don't want to wreck Smokes' place."  
  
"I'm not going to start anything," Buffy whispered. Her entire world had tilted on its axis, she'd suspected there was something wrong with Riley - there'd been too many muttered conversations, unexplained disappearances. She knew Xander too well to suspect him of lying. "Where are you going?"  
  
Xander paused in standing. "I'm leaving. If you've decided not to kill me we've nothing else to talk about."  
  
"Please, wait."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Please, Xand. I've missed you, Willow misses you." Buffy felt her eyes began to water. "Can't we just talk?"  
  
"I don't see what we've got to talk about," Xander growled before sitting back down. "So talk."  
  
"D..do you love her?"  
  
"Faith?" the stern look on Xander's face softened. "Love her? She's like my oxygen. When she smiles at me it my heart beat faster, I'm never happier than when I'm holding her in my arms."  
  
"I'm happy for you." Xander chuckled. "Such sincerity, I'm touched no really."  
  
Buffy felt her temper flare. "What do you expect Xander? She tried to kill me, and you, one of my best friends."  
  
"You still don't get it do you Buff.? You don't get to choose for me, we're not friends anymore and even if we were it's my choice!" Xander retorted angrily. "Angelus butchered plenty and in ways that Faith couldn't even dream of but that was okay by your double standards."  
  
Not friends anymore. Buffy felt her heart break at the words. "What happened to us?" she muttered.  
  
"You don't want to know."  
  
She wanted so much for him to hold her, tell her that they were friends again. Instead she reached tentatively across the table and squeezed the man's hand. "Yes I do," she insisted.  
  
For a few seconds the man didn't answer. Then he let out a long rattling sigh and nodded. "That first day I saw you I fell for you. Still loved you when you dated Angel. Loved you right up until that night you danced with me, used me to make Angel jealous."  
  
Buffy's cheeks burned, it was one of her most shameful memories. "That night you broke my heart, humiliated me. But still you and Willow, whatever you'd done were still my friends. So I stayed by your side fighting the good fight. After all there were innocents to save." A note of bitterness entered the man's voice. "But whatever I did wasn't good enough. No matter how many lives I help save or demons I killed I was still useless, a burden. Well I had my parents to tell me I was worthless I didn't need you, my so-called friends, to tell me I was too!"  
  
"Xander, I..I."  
  
"Save it Buffy. I don't want to hear it."  
  
The young man tried to rise but she pulled him back down. "We were trying to protect you."  
  
Xander shook his head. "You still don't get it do you? My decision to make. My decision, if I wanted to, I could have walked away at any point. You don't dictate what I do, not anymore, you lost that power years ago."  
  
"Xander, come home."  
  
The young man lifted his head back and laughed harshly. "This is my home now. Here I have a boss who I respect and respects me, a gorgeous girl who loves me and I'm crazy about, a worthwhile job, and friends who actually give a shit about me. What would I have in Sunnydale?"  
  
"You'd have us!"  
  
Her friend grinned. "You know who I miss from Sunnydale? Your mom, the rest of you can go to hell for all I care."  
  
"We need you," by now Buffy was close to tears.  
  
"Flutter those big eyes, you'll soon get some idiot kid to get the donut run." Xander threw a card onto the table. "That's our business number, ring us if the demons get out of hand. But don't ring for everyday shit, I'm not interested."  
  
Tears blinding her, the Slayer grabbed the card and stumbled to her feet. "How's Angel?"  
  
"Not bad. He's got himself a girl-friend, Kate Lockley, a cop who gets us a load of occult cases. She's cool, knows enough not to treat people like shit."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander gazed down into his cooling cup of coffee. He knew he'd been harsh on Buffy but he couldn't find it in himself to care. That part of his life, Sunnydale, was dead. And unlike vampires hopefully it would never rise again.  
  
"You can be a real bastard sometimes."  
  
He turned to see Smokes stood in the doorway, a disapproving expression on his face. "You don't think you learn to fight how I do by being a boy scout? Besides you don't know the whole story."  
  
The black man walked in and put a bottle of Jack Daniels on the table between them before sitting down in the seat Buffy had just vacated. "So talk." Forty minutes later, the African-American was sat with a bemused expression spread across his face. "Well shit," Smokes took a swig of the bottle before shaking his head. "If I hadn't seen those bloodsuckers with my own eyes I'd say lock you up."  
  
"But-."  
  
"I saw 'em." Smokes shook his head again. "Look Xander, this Buffy and Willow made mistakes sure, but way I see it they weren't malicious. Not the way you talked to her before. That wasn't cool."  
  
The young man felt his shoulders slump. "Maybe you're right, but I can't go back. My life's here, Faith's happier than she's ever been. And truth is, so am I."  
  
Smokes nodded. "The Hellmouth sounds like a dangerous place, especially if you're the Slayer. Isn't there anybody you could send?"  
  
Xander nodded slowly. "Maybe."  
  
* * *  
  
"Giles, can I have a word?"  
  
The Watcher looked up at the youth, noting his unusually serious expression. "Certainly Xander."  
  
"In private?"  
  
"Oh," this was serious. The Watcher nodded before turning to an observing Wesley. "We'll finish this translation later?" Wesley nodded. Giles smiled and led the youth into his room. "So what is so important we couldn't discuss it in front of the others?"  
  
"How is Wesley's training going?"  
  
Giles' eyes narrowed. He didn't particularly enjoy discussing other people behind their back but judging from the look on Xander's face this was important. "His research skills have always been exemplary, training with you and Angel have improved his fighting skills considerably, and as for him being a Watcher," he smiled wryly, "well Faith listens to him about as much as she does to anybody who isn't you. Xander, what is this all about?"  
  
"Yeah, boytoy spill."  
  
Giles glanced towards the open doorway where Faith stood and back at Xander. Judging from the look on his son's face he'd definitely not wanted this conversation to over-heard. "I saw Buffy today."  
  
"What!" in an instant the brunette was by Xander's side, a look of worry on her face. "What the fuck did she do? If she hurt you.."  
  
"Relax," Xander placed his hands on the slight girl's shoulders. "She didn't lay a finger on me. We just talked."  
  
"About what?" Faith demanded.  
  
"About what happened with Riley and," the youth hesitated, "she's scared, asked me to go back to Sunnydale."  
  
Now the Slayer looked heart-broken. "You're going to leave me," she whispered, Giles saw the tears welling in the girl's eyes and felt a stab of anger at Xander's thoughtlessness. It was so hard for Faith to trust anybody and for Xander to just throw away that precious gift she'd given him. Why if there was a horsewhip handy.  
  
"Hey," Xander placed a light kiss on the girl's forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. But," the young man looked towards him, "I was wondering if Giles would go back to Sunnydale."  
  
The librarian's eyes widened in surprise. He was tempted, but.. He looked towards Faith. "I have responsibilities here," he nodded at the Slayer.  
  
"Faith's got Wesley to act as her Watcher, you already said he was up to the job, Angel and Spike to act as muscle, Cordy as her best pal, and me to hold her coat in a throw-down. All Buffy's got is," Xander shrugged, "is Willow."  
  
"You do a damn sight more than that babe," Faith hugged her boyfriend, her eyes shining with happiness now that Xander had reaffirmed his commitment to her.  
  
"Yes true enough, but I'm not sure how much use I would be in Sunnydale, Buffy hardly listened to me before I left."  
  
"Yeah, but that was down to Cornfed and Walsh," Xander shrugged, "she knows she made a mistake, she'll listen to you now."  
  
Again Giles looked at the Slayer. "And how would you feel about me leaving Faith? I wouldn't want to desert you-."  
  
His speech was cut off by a bone-crushing hug from the brunette. "I'd miss you like crazy G, you're like the dad I always wanted, but as long as you're on the other end of the phone, Sunnyd's only two hours away. Like Xand says, I've got the others, B's got shit."  
  
"Once again, you make me inordinately proud of you."  
  
Faith blushed. "Inordinately proud? That's a good thing right?"  
  
"Look it up," he grinned at the Slayer before turning to Xander. "I'll phone Buffy tonight, if she's agreeable to me returning and willing to modify her attitude, I'll leave in a couple of days. Oh, and Xander?" he allowed a little bit of Ripper out.  
  
"Yeah G-Man?"  
  
"You hurt Faith, and you'll find out how just quickly I can be here."  
  
The youth swallowed. "Yes Giles." The Librarian hid a grin; he still had it. 


	8. 8

Starting Over 8 - Unwelcome Offers  
  
"Mr. Harris?"  
  
Xander stared suspiciously at the icily beautiful woman in a business suit barring his way. It was the middle of the day so she couldn't be a vampire, and yet there was something about her that set his 'spidey' sense. "That's me, and you are?"  
  
"Lillah Morgan." The woman flashed him an insincere smile. "Mr. Harris, I'm employed by Wolfram & Hart. We've been watching you for some time and are very impressed with your talents. We feel that your abilities aren't being fully utilised in your current employment. In short, we'd like to offer you a job."  
  
"Not interested," Xander replied flatly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a grey limo with tinted windows pull up beside him even as he heard a car stop at the corner behind him and saw the two bulky men stepping out of the alley behind the woman to flank her. Of course saying no might not be an option.  
  
Moving quickly, Xander stepped sideways and kicked the opening car door to his left shut, trapping the fridge-sized man climbing out of the limo. Sensing a man coming at him from behind, the young man spun round and drove his forehead into his opponent's face before following up with a knee to the groin. Even before his adversary had crumpled to the pavement Xander was onto his next opponent.  
  
Ducking under a left hook, he came up with a right hook that appeared to bounce off his granite-faced adversary's lantern jaw with literally no effect. "Not good," the young man muttered as he backed away from his remorselessly advancing opponent.  
  
And right into a thundering right to the back of his head. Rocked by the blow, Xander staggered forward and right into another left hook from the man he'd been retreating from. Instinctively he snapped out a kick to the man's left knee. The man screamed as his kneecap shattered, pitching him forward to the pavement.  
  
Suddenly his vision blurred as one of the men encircling him sprayed mace in his eyes. Cursing, Xander saw a blurred shape coming towards him, grabbing at the shape he twisted and threw the figure to the ground. As he straightened he was pounded by blows from half a dozen directions. His knees buckling from the impact the youth fell to the ground. Even as he tried to struggle to his feet a boot to the head sent him plunging into unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
"I understand you brought Mr. Harris in half an hour ago?"  
  
Lillah nodded quickly. Manners was just about the only person who made her nervous. "That's correct sir." "I understand he put up quite a fight?"  
  
"Two men injured temporarily, a third permanently." The female lawyer was used seeing acts of extreme violence perpetrated both by her employers and those who opposed them. But to see a teenager take out three of the eight former Special Forces security men she'd been instructed to take with her had shaken her.  
  
Manners smiled. Lillah resisted the urge to shudder, whenever Manners smiled it invariably meant pain for somebody. "Yes, for a mortal he has a rare talent for violence. But more importantly, his conversion to our cause could also bring with it the Slayer Faith and the vampire William the Bloody. Tell Re-Education to make him their top priority."  
  
"At once Mr. Manners," Lillah hurried away, her face pale. The longest anyone lasted in 'Re-Education' without breaking was six days. Somehow she doubted the boy would last anything like as long. She almost pitied him. Almost.  
  
* * *  
  
"You guys have got a big problem." Faith cast a bored glance from the back of the office to the reception desk where Cordy was dealing with one of their street contacts and occasional muscle, an African-American by the name of Gunn. He was a cutie, but now that she had her Xander she didn't play around any more. Even as a smile formed on her lips at the thought of her man it disappeared with the gang leader's next words. "One of my gang saw her boy being kidnapped."  
  
In an instant Faith was up, covering the distance separating her from Gunn in an instant. Picking up the man she slammed him into the wall. "He saw my Xander being kidnapped? Why the fuck didn't he help him?"  
  
"Put him down Faith. Give him a chance to explain at least."  
  
At Angel's firm but gentle voice in her ear she released her grip and stepped back. "Sorry," she muttered.  
  
"Yeah, right. Your trainer wants to cut down on the amount of raw meat he's throwing you." Faith glared at the gang-leader, he'd got an apology what more did the asshole want? "Way Benito tells it he saw Xander 'cross the street from him. Was about to give him a yell when he saw this woman in her early thirties dressed in an office suit start talking to him. Next thing, these two limos with tinted windows pull up and between 6 - 8 guys the size of NFL players jump out and start beating the shit out of Harris. He gets some licks in too, takes some of them down but eventually they throw him into the back of one of the cars and drive off."  
  
"No." Faith felt her legs go weak, instantly Cordelia had her arm and gently guided her to the reception desk seat. "They got Xander," she muttered shakily Cordelia placed her hands on her shoulders. "But we'll get him back honey. Angel, who's got him?"  
  
"Two limos, woman in a power suit?" Angel smiled coldly. "I'm not looking past Wolfram & Hart."  
  
"Hey man, you need anything, extra muscle, whatever, just tell me," Gunn offered. "I like Harris, lousy choice in women, but I like him."  
  
Angel nodded. "Thanks. You might come in handy."  
  
* * *  
  
Lindsey couldn't believe his luck as he led the stunning red-head dressed in a skin-tight rubber one-piece up to his apartment. His friends wouldn't believe him either when he'd tell them about this flame-haired goddess with the tight ass, slender legs, and perfectly shaped tits. He grinned inwardly, maybe she'd let him take pictures.  
  
"This is it," he said, indicating his front with a nod.  
  
"Good," the girl whispered huskily. She moved closer, her scent intoxicating as her lips brushed against his as she expertly worked her tongue into his mouth. His hands worked their way up the woman's body reaching her tiny waist until she grabbed his wrists with surprising strength given her slightness and pushed him away. "Not in the corridor tiger, I like a bed to lie on. Inside."  
  
After a quick lick of his lips, Lindsey unlocked the door and walked in. He'd barely stepped through the door when his jaw exploded in pain and he was lifted off his feet and thrown to the far side of his apartment. Blinking away the stars circling his head, he attempted to sit up, only for the woman's foot on his throat to pin him to the floor. "You can come in now boys."  
  
Lindsey felt his breath shorten as he recognised the two vampires entering his apartment. Angel and Spike. He glanced again at the woman standing above him and groaned as he watched her pull off a wig. Faith, how could he have been so blind?  
  
"Nice outfit luv."  
  
"Bite me Spike."  
  
"If only babe."  
  
Suddenly the girl removed her foot from his throat, grabbed him around the throat and effortlessly threw him onto his couch. The girl stood in front of him now had none of the seductive beauty she'd shown earlier, now her eyes were filled with a bone-chilling fury. "Ask him your questions Angel."  
  
Despite his situation Lindsey let out a near-hysterical laugh. "Talk? Forget it. Wolfram and Hart would kill me."  
  
"Spike, go boil me a kettle."  
  
Lindsey's eyes boggled as the brunette began to unfasten his trousers. Minutes ago, this would have been his wildest dream. Now it was a nightmare. "What are you doing?" he croaked.  
  
The Slayer didn't look up from her expert ministrations of his treacherously responding member. "I'm going to pour some boiling water on your cock. You know it's the most sensitive part of your body?"  
  
Lindsey felt his blood freeze. "N..no please."  
  
"Then talk." The Slayer's voice was steely, leaving no doubt to her willingness to do what she'd just said.  
  
"What do you want to know?"  
  
* * *  
  
The codes that Lindsey had given them worked. Angel nodded at Faith as he opened the car park entrance to Wolfram & Hart's offices. "Make the call."  
  
The vampire's plan was simple but it wasn't like Angel had had time to think of anything else, the brown-haired Slayer thought as she dialled the number of Gunn's cell. While they stole in the back way, Gunn's people would distract security with a demo out front about corporate greed. "Yeah Gunn, it's me. Time to rock 'n' roll." After putting down the phone, she glanced at Angel. "It's done."  
  
Angel nodded. "You two head for the holding cells. I'll check the re- education chamber."  
  
Faith nodded. Already her blood was pounding; these bastards were going to learn exactly what an enraged Slayer could do.  
  
* * *  
  
Xander groaned as the wooden baton smashed into his already battered ribs. The man wielding it was an expert, there was no doubt about that. Thanks to his recent pounding and the beating he'd already received at the hands of the thugs who'd abducted him he felt like his entire body was being turned into ground hamburger.  
  
After a blow to his left leg, his tormenter stepped back and grabbed his sweat-soaked hair, yanking his head back. "Are you ready to re-consider?"  
  
Xander's only reply was to spit in his assailant's face. The black-robed man didn't react with fury. Instead he simply smiled and wiped the spittle away before turning to the instrument laden table behind him. "I see the truncheon isn't having the desired effect. I'm sure it's the methods of teaching in the schools today that's the fault. No respect. Perhaps the knives? Or the cattle prod? Maybe the -."  
  
The man's taunting was interrupted by the screech of a klaxon. Xander grinned. His friends were here. He looked at the man through his one still open eye. "Boy, are you fucked." 


	9. 9

Starting Over 9 - Retrieval & Rescue  
  
Angel moved down the corridor, a look of cold determination on his handsome face. Wolfram & Hart had gone too far this time, always in the past they'd worked through flunkies who's missions had occasionally crossed the path of his team. But to actually kidnap a member of his team. A lesson had to be given.  
  
The sound of a trio of heartbeats to his left pulled the vampire out of his reverie. He waited until the stairwell door was open before launching his attack. Snapping out a foot, he crippled the first guard through the open doorway with a knee-shattering kick. The second guard out stumbled gracelessly over the falling body and into an uppercut that knocked its unfortunate recipient off his feet, sending him plummeting down the stairway he'd just run up. The third man managed to duck beneath the human missile and threw a right cross that Angel took on his jaw. After raising an eyebrow to ask if that was all the man had, he snatched his adversary's out-stretched arm, tore it out of the socket, and threw the man face-first into the wall behind the vampire.  
  
"You just can't get the help these days," muttered the vampire as he continued on his way. Wolfram & Hart had far more effective weapons at their disposal than the humans they had on staff but the senior partners preferred to use demons and vampires for outside work, keeping the main office largely human only. Which made his life a hell of a lot easier.  
  
Suddenly the vamp sensed another heartbeat around the next corner. Turning, the vampire faced his opponent. His mouth dropped open. "I didn't realise the WWF was in town."  
  
The figure blocking his way was huge. So big in fact that the top of his close shaven head nearly touched the ceiling and his broad shoulders brushed each of the corridor's walls. Angel estimated the behemoth stood nearly seven and a half foot tall and weighed in excess of six hundred pounds. Yet despite his adversary's awesome bulk, the vampire guessed the gi wearing giant facing was nearly all muscle.  
  
Angel growled low in his throat. This monster was blocking the way to the torture chambers where his friend could be being held. Charging forward, he morphed into his demonic face.  
  
And straight into a crunching right that sent him flying into the air. The vampire sprang back to his feet and looked in disbelief at the impassive giant still stood in the same place. Even given his monolithic size the man shouldn't have been able to hit him that hard. The vampire's eyes narrowed. Of course, the man had been imbued with magic, probably strength spells. The vampire's lips parted in a grimace, he didn't like killing mortals, but given the choice between his friend and his enemy. Unless. "Move aside, I've got no fight with you."  
  
"Yes you have little one," rumbled the giant. Angel raised an eyebrow before cracking his neck. Little one, now that was insulting. "If that's the way you want it." Charging forward, the vampire ducked beneath a right and ran into a left body shot that splintered his ribs. Groaning slightly under the impact, the vampire lunged for the man's trunk like neck with fangs ready.  
  
Only for the mammoth to grab him round the neck and throw him face-first into the wall. His head ringing, the vampire staggered back into the centre of the corridor. This was getting embarrassing.  
  
Diving back into the fray, Angel bared his fangs as he once again attempted to rip his rival's neck out - only to change focus at the last second. After delivering a kick to the balls, the vampire bombarded the giant's midsection with a deluge of blows. Suddenly he changed his focus again, driving his ridged forehead into the bridge of his opponent's nose, cracking it.  
  
Finally the man staggered backwards. Seizing his advantage, Angel lunged forward, ignoring a right cross that split his top lip open, he smashed a thunderous punch into the man's throat before following his attack up by sinking his fangs into the man-mountain's neck. He nearly pulled away as the man's blood filled his mouth; it was tainted somehow either by drugs, black magic, or both. Despite the blood's foulness and despite the fearsome blows smashing into his ribs from both sides he held on until the man slumped to the floor, dead.  
  
His senses reeling both from the contaminated blood he'd taken and the beating he'd received, the vampire slumped against the wall. After a few seconds he realised his cellular was ringing. Groaning slightly at the effort, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah?"  
  
"It's Faith," the Slayer's voice was taut with tension. "My boytoy's not in the cells. What about your end?"  
  
Angel winced as another wave of pain coursed through his body. "Haven't got there yet."  
  
"What!" the Slayer's screech only added to his already pounding headache. "Stop fucking around! Get in there now!"  
  
"Yes dear," Angel muttered as he gingerly replaced the phone. Sometimes he wondered who was in charge. Muttering slightly under his breath, he staggered to his feet. "I really need some new employees."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander's eyes snapped towards the door as it flew off the hinges. "About time," he muttered.  
  
"Yeah, good to see you too Xander," Angel commented wryly as he snatched the cattle prod off the torturer and used it on him, sending the man convulsing to the floor. The vampire moved in front of him and winced, his eyes widening. "They made a mess of you."  
  
"Thanks for that Deadboy," he replied dryly. "I really needed telling."  
  
"First his girlfriend now him," he heard the vampire mutter as he unfastened the knots holding him to the operating table. "Nag, nag, nag."  
  
"You weren't going to say you really get it in the neck were you?"  
  
Angel ignored the remark, choosing to point at him. "Garfield boxer shots?"  
  
"Ah," Xander felt himself blush even as he searched his pain-addled brain for an excuse. "Would you believe they put these on me as a humiliation tactic?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"With your fashion sense not a chance. You wear them and Faith still sleeps with you?" the vampire's tone was disbelieving.  
  
Xander wriggled his eyebrows, about the only part of his body that didn't hurt. "What can I say I'm red hot in the sack."  
  
"And yet strangely I'm still not attracted to you."  
  
"Well thank god for that I've enough problems without getting a master vampire sugar daddy."  
  
The vampire smiled dryly before turning serious. "I'll have to carry you out on my shoulder. It's going to hurt a hell of a lot," Angel warned.  
  
Xander grimaced, like he couldn't work that out for himself. "Just get me out of here."  
  
* * *  
  
"I..is he going to be alright?"  
  
Angel looked down at the terrified brunette. Physically she was so strong and yet emotionally at times she could be so childlike. Xander was her anchor, without him she could easily slip back into her old ways. Whatever happened, he owed it to both of them to make sure that didn't happen. "He's pretty banged up Faith," he ignored the girl's gasp, he was a vampire, they weren't exactly known for their bedside manner, well except Draclua and that was down to his press. "He's got three cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, two broken fingers, internal bleeding, a bruised kidney, and a severe concussion."  
  
"But he'll be alright?" the brunette's tearful eyes were filled with desperation.  
  
The vampire pulled the Slayer into a hug. "He'll be fine. It'll be rough for a while, but Xander will soon be annoying me with his puns." After a moment he released his grip. "I've got to be going."  
  
"Going?" the young woman's gaze was accusatory, her liquid brown eyes burning through his soul. "But Xander needs us here!"  
  
The vampire kissed the girl on her forehead. "You, Spike, Wes, and Cordy will be here. I've got to go with Gunn and make sure this doesn't happen again."  
  
The Slayer's eyes changed from molten hot to ice cold in an instant. "When do we leave?"  
  
Angel took an unneeded breath. The last thing they needed right now was Faith getting her hands on a Wolfram & Hart lawyer. Bad things would happen. "No Faith," he replied firmly, "your place is here with Xander." Without waiting for an agreement, the vampire turned, nodded to Gunn and walked away, the African-American hurrying after him.  
  
* * *  
  
Manners sighed wearily as he climbed into his limo. The clean-up from the carnage caused by Angel and his crew had been horrific. He suspected that at least one of the senior partners would be visiting very soon. The partner shuddered, he had to find someone to blame and fast.  
  
All thoughts of office politics disappeared when the far car door opened and Angel climbed in. His heart pounding, Manners lunged for his door only to find it locked.  
  
"Gunn, drive." Manners stared in horror as the car started up and drove away from the pavement. The vampire smiled before turning to him. "This is an illustration of what we can do. This time it's you we're kidnapping. Next time it could be your wife. Or your mistress. Or even your children."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
The vampire shrugged. "You're probably right I wouldn't. But Faith, she so wanted to meet you after what you did to her man. She's very protective of him isn't she Gunn?"  
  
"Like a den mother with her cubs," came the answer from the front of the limo.  
  
"Good analogy," praised the vampire.  
  
"I liked it," retorted the stand-in chauffer. "You see, as I was just explaining. Faith's been known to over-react in the past, now hurt her Xander again and there's no telling what she'll do. Now if she starts wiping out W & H employees we might not help her, but what we certainly won't do is try and stop her. Are we communicating?"  
  
Manners searched the vampire's eyes for any sign of a bluff, seeing none he nodded. "What are you going to do with me?" A score of images all flooded the lawyer's mind, each one more terrible than the last.  
  
"First of all you're going to sign this document stating that you will personally pay all of Xander's hospital expenses. Otherwise," the lawyer's eyes widened as the vampire produced a machete from beneath his jacket. "I start chopping off fingers. This little piggy went to the butcher's."  
  
"Where's the paper." Manners quickly signed the document.  
  
"Good man," praised the vampire lightly as he pocketed the paper. Manners shuddered as the vampire changed into his demonic face, the vampire chuckled coldly. "Why Holland, the valet will have a devil of a job getting urine stains out of this wonderful leather, you're a little young for bladder problems." The vampire's eyes grew even harder. "Now I think it's time you and I came to an understanding. We're the good guys, you're the black hats, I get this. You'll keep on planning diabolical evil, we'll keep on thwarting you. But, you ever directly attack my team again, and I'll make sure you and every senior partner doesn't last out the week. You understand?"  
  
Manners swallowed hard. There were some days you should stay in bed. Today was definitely one of the. "I..I understand," he managed to stutter.  
  
The vampire nodded approvingly. "Where are we Gunn?"  
  
"Vamp Central."  
  
"Pull up, we're getting out," the vampire instructed before turning to the terrified lawyer. "We're in downtown L.A., so I have to warn you, don't get out of your limo. You better hope that you're retrieval team gets here quick or you'll be praying the gangbangers get to you before the vamps." 


	10. 10

Starting Over 10 - Crimson Rain  
  
"Everybody get out."  
  
Angel looked up from his desk and into Xander's eyes. He'd just finished telling the others that they were fired, they couldn't accept where he was going to have to do to defeat Darla and Drusilla, they already weren't happy with him allowing the mass-murder of Manners and his cronies. "Xand," Angel glanced across at the teen's pale-faced girl-friend.  
  
"GET OUT NOW!" the Slayer jumped at the man's roar and Angel blinked. The look in Xander's eyes was colder than when the teen had stopped Angelus from killing Buffy at Sunnydale General. He wasn't the coward Angelus was but there was enough rage in the youth's eyes to make him nervous. The others moved to the door. "Faith," Xander's gaze didn't move from him, his eyes continuing to burn into him, "I'm sorry I shouted at you, it's not you I'm angry with."  
  
The brunette smiled wanly in response. "Five by five."  
  
As soon as the door had closed behind the Slayer and the others, Xander exploded again. "You bastard!" he started to look nervously around, checking that there wasn't any sharp wooden objects in the office. "This isn't just your home you know! It's Cordy's, mine, this place belongs to us all! Hell, for the last year this has been the first place that Faith has ever called home! You're her goddamn mentor!" Xander slammed his fist onto the desk, "the one who she looks to for guidance about redemption, but no you had to decide to throw us aside for a petty feud."  
  
"Petty-."  
  
The young man's rage overrode his attempt at a reply. "The way I see it you've got two choices. One, you leave," Angel's eyes widened, Xander was going to throw him out? "Or you let us help you."  
  
"It's too dangerous -."  
  
Xander raised an eyebrow. "Too dangerous? Too dangerous for two demon- hunters, two master vampires, a former Watcher, a seer, and a Slayer?" the youth's face softened. "Let us help you for god's sake Angel. We're friends, that's what friends do, just ask."  
  
"Fine," Angel took an unneeded breath. "What do you have in mind?"  
  
* * *  
  
Angel looked around the gaudy bar in disbelief. The place looked liked the place had been decorated by a member of the Village People on acid. "This was your bright idea?" he muttered in disbelief, "take me out and get me drunk in a bar owned by the Bee Gees?"  
  
"I do so hope he's not going to start sing 'Staying Alive'."  
  
Angel loftily decided to ignore Wesley's muttered comment. He turned towards Xander. "Care to explain?"  
  
"Two weeks ago, me and Faith chased a Walki into here," Xander's explanation was interrupted by a green-skinned, horned demon wearing a red designer suit so bright Angel thought his eyes were going to bleed.  
  
"It's Spitfire and Melody! And who are your friends?"  
  
"He's Melody, I'm Spitfire," Faith explained as Xander started to talk to the demon, "and he's Lorne."  
  
Angel nodded, he'd already figured that, he'd had the misfortune to hear Faith singing in the bath and nobody would describe that screech or the lyrics she sang as melodious. "So," he sighed, he was sure he wasn't going to like the answer. "Why are we here?" The vampire bit back a groan, judging from the malicious gleam in the Slayer's eyes he was right.  
  
* * *  
  
"You want me to sing!"  
  
"Never thought I'd see a Master Vampire have a temper tantrum," Xander muttered.  
  
"Bet you ten bucks he cries," Spike muttered back, an evil grin the twin to Xander's on his face.  
  
Faith chuckled. "Don't know why you're smirking Billy, he's your grand- sire, it's your family he's showing up with this behaviour."  
  
"Piss off Slayer."  
  
After a few seconds of moaning, the vampire climbed onto stage, his head bowed as if heading towards after a guillotine. And after a few seconds the vampire's rapidly becoming former friends knew why. "Bloody hell," Wes muttered, "it's not only people he's murdered."  
  
"I thought 'Mandy' was bad when Beaky sang it," Faith replied, her eyes widening. "Forget vamps, mages, demons, G in the buff," conscious that everybody had turned to her, the Slayer shrugged, "hey he should have locked the door, now there's a sight to scar an impressionable mind. But," Faith pointed at the stage, "this is really scary." After what seemed a lifetime the song ended Angel climbed off the stage, his glare forcing scattered applause from the demons nearest the stage. Finally Xander found his voice. "That was really," for once words failed him.  
  
"Shit," Faith finished for him.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"So what advice have you got for me?" Angel asked the green-skinned demon.  
  
"Aside from don't give up the career as a champion to become a club singer?"  
  
"Couldn't cope with the competition eh?"  
  
"Dear god," Wesley groaned. "Do tell me he's joking."  
  
"If not I'm moving to another state," Gunn replied with a mutter.  
  
"Screw that I don't care if he's got a soul, I'm killing him," Faith whispered. "Call it a mercy staking."  
  
Suddenly Lorne's face turned deadly serious. "Dru and Darla are in Warehouse 17 on Luther King docks, they've got between 15 and 20 vampires with them."  
  
"Doable." Xander nodded in satisfaction before turning to the bleached blond vampire. "Your turn next Spike."  
  
"Why the bloody hell do I have to sing? We know where they are now."  
  
"Because we're going after Dru," Xander replied, all previous humour vanishing from his voice, leaving it cold and emotionless.  
  
After a second the vampire nodded, stood, and walked to the stage. Spike flipped before the karaoke book before pointing out of a song, a minute or so later the vampire began singing 'Mony Mony'. "Bloody hell," Wesley said, his cultured voice filled with awe. "He's really rather good."  
  
"Well he's better than Deadboy that's for sure."  
  
"Cordelia!" Angel protested.  
  
"Oh shut up Angel, you hired me for my honesty," the former cheerleader snapped before turning to the green-skinned demon. "Well?"  
  
"Well, with that voice don't ever sing," the demon turned a strange shade of polluted seaweed at the cheerleader's glare. "He can be trusted and you really want him to come with you."  
  
"So are we off now?" Angel said.  
  
"Hey Fang don't you want to sing again?"  
  
Angel let out a long-suffering sigh. "Faith shut up." The vampire shook his head. "Xander, Faith, and Cordelia, surely I wasn't that evil."  
  
"But at least you got me and Wes," Gunn pointed out.  
  
"Oh lucky me."  
  
* * *  
  
"What's the plan Xander?" Angel muttered.  
  
Xander stared at the shadowy form of the warehouse from the faraway end of the narrow street that snaked its way up to its front doors. The building, veiled behind a thick swirling curtain of falling rain, was only a vaguely- shaped silhouette. And yet its brooding bulk still managed to inspire a feeling of unease in him, as if it was a living beast, watching him and his companions, and waiting to pounce. After a second he shook his head, breaking the gloomy spell the ponderous building held over him. "Faith and I will go through the front doors," Xander looked through his binoculars, "and you and Billy Boy will come through the skylight. Wes, Gunn, and Cordy will block the mouth of the street and kill any vamps that escape the camp."  
  
"That's it?" Faith muttered in disbelief. "That's your great plan?"  
  
"Nobody said I was Patton," Xander shrugged. "Look we don't have time to plan anything intricate, and if we did Dru would only sense it anyway."  
  
"He's right Slayer," Spike muttered, "how long to get to the skylight Peaches?"  
  
"Five, maybe seven, minutes," Angel replied, "have to take care of those two guards first though. You come through the front in ten minutes Xander. As soon as we hear you we'll follow okay?"  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Xander started to move only to be stopped by his girl-friend grabbing him around the waist and pulling him into a hug. "Don't you dare get hurt you asshole," the brunette whispered into his ear, her voice trembling.  
  
Xander winked at his girlfriend, he knew how frightened she got, not about herself but losing him. "We'll be fine baby," he kissed the slayer on her forehead before grinning, "it's my plan after all."  
  
Faith giggled. "Why do you think I'm worried?"  
  
Spike let out a groan. "Bloody hell you two pillocks are so sugary it's making me diabetic."  
  
Faith glared at the bleached vampire. "Shut it."  
  
* * *  
  
"You ready," Xander swallowed at the Slayer's whispered question before nodding. The brunette winked at him. "Love you," turning she sent a heel smashing kick into the double doors sending them crashing open. Her trademark smirk in place Faith sauntered into the suddenly hushed warehouse. "Hi everybody, who wants to hop on the Faith Express? Stakings a speciality."  
  
"Don't say that dear," Xander murmured as he eyed the vampires charging towards them, "makes you sound cheap."  
  
Whatever smart reply Faith would have come up with was lost when the skylight suddenly exploded, sending glass flying as Angel and Spike dropped in through the window. Distracted by the sudden intrusion, the vampires advancing towards him and his girl-friend stopped in confusion. Taking advantage of the vampires' hesitation, Xander bounded and swung his axe through the neck of the nearest vamp.  
  
Blood burst from the vampire's neck a split-second before it turned to dust, showering him like a crimson rain. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another vampire coming towards him, twisting round he managed to send his axe slicing through the vampire's sword arm, cutting off its arm at the elbow. The vampire glanced down at his arm in amazement. Before the blood- sucker could regain his equilibrium, Xander reversed his swing, sending the vampire's flying off his shoulder.  
  
Seeing a third vampire coming at him, Xander snapped out a heel kick, shattering the vampire's knee and sending him stumbling to the floor. Before his adversary had chance to recover, Xander's axe came down taking the vampire's head off. "Damn I'm on fire tonight!" he crowed.  
  
"Oh no kitten," Xander's blood chilled at Drusilla's insane babblings in his ear, "don't be on fire, fire would burn that lovely skin."  
  
"Shit!" Xander spun round to face the vampire only to be caught by a haymaker to the jaw that caused his vision to blur and his legs to almost buckle. He swung his axe up, aiming to repeat his earlier success but as he moved Drusilla easily intercepted the blow, hitting his arm hard enough to send the axe clattering to the floor. Before he had time to re-group Dru had her hands wrapped around his throat, lifting his body off the floor. Xander struck at her wrists, trying to break free by hitting her nerve-clusters but it was like punching stone.  
  
"Such pretty eyes," the insane vampire cooed. Then she kissed him full on the lips, her ice-cold tongue slipping into his mouth. Xander struggled but couldn't budge an inch, the insane vampire's grip inescapable. When she was done she tossed him to the ground like a rag doll. Winded, he could only watch helplessly as she advanced on him. "You're going to be a special childe," she simpered, "take Spikey's place in mummy's heart you are."  
  
"Not sodding likely." A look of alarm spreading across her face, Drusilla started to turn only to explode to dust when Spike shoved a stake in her heart. "Bloody women, let that be a lesson to you boy. They're all bloody flighty."  
  
"Thanks Spike, I'll bear that in mind," he rubbed gingerly at his chin where Drusilla had slugged him. "Going to give me a hand up?"  
  
"Can't take you anywhere whelp," Spike pulled him to his feet. "You know," the bleached vampire looked down at the dustpile at his feet, "with all her psychic powers you'd have thought she'd have seen that coming." The vampire shook his head. "Anyway night's still young," Spike cast an almost hungry gaze at the carnage surrounding them, "violence still to be had."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander looked at the two brooding master vampires and sighed, both had had to kill their sires and their actions were hitting them hard. "So," he forced a cheery note into his voice, "we've won. How about celebration?"  
  
"What do you suggest?" Wesley asked.  
  
"Oh I was thinking we could back down to Lorne's place," Xander paused, a slight smile tugging at his lips, "Angel could tort-, entertain us with a singing of 'That's All Right Mama'." The two vampires glared at him, he smiled and shrugged. "Just a thought." 


	11. 11

Starting Over 11 - Old Friends  
  
Travers slammed the motel door shut, the muffled sobs of the fourteen year old prostitute he'd just beaten sweet music to his eats. She'd just been disciplined just like those bloody Slayers needed to be.  
  
A smirk on his face, he raised the cigar he'd used on the girl's naked body to his mouth. Suddenly a fist flew out of the darkness and slammed into his jaw. His legs wobbly, he staggered away from his unseen attacker only for a pair of firm hands to grab the front of his jacket and throw him into the wall of the motel room, driving the air from his body. "I have money," he wheezed even as his eyes desperately searched the darkness for help.  
  
"Don't bother," his attacker laughed harshly. "Your bodyguards have been taken care of, haven't they?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
His blood froze as he recognised the broad-shouldered man who'd stepped out of the shadows. "Angelus," he whispered in terror.  
  
His remark got him a slap across the face. "He goes by Angel now and he hates you Council guys. But," his breath shortened as his assailant pulled out a gleaming knife and held it to his throat. "Not as much as I do. You're going to cancel the snatch teams you've sent after Faith -."  
  
"And why should I?" he attempted a sneer. "You'll pay for meddling in Council business!"  
  
His attacker let out a cold laugh. "I'll tell you why you bastard. Because," he whimpered as the knife pricked his neck, drawing blood. "If you kill Faith I won't have anything to live for. And if I don't have anything to live for I'll have to come to merry old England, kill every member of your family and then torture you to death."  
  
"Harris?" Travers whispered in incredulity. Intelligence reports had indicated that for the first time the slut was actually in a relationship with Harris. But nothing the youth's file indicated the buffoon was capable of what he was doing now or what he was threatening. "You haven't got the st-, argh!"  
  
"The nerve? The balls?" Harris pressed the blade into his cheek, making him squeal in pain. "Don't press me. The only reason I haven't killed you for what you did to her in the past is because than I'd have to come to England to find the new Council Head. So what's the answer?"  
  
"I..I'll cancel the contract," he gasped, he shuffled uncomfortably as his bladder loosened, hot urine running down his leg.  
  
His attacker nodded. "Good. Now there's just the question of your treatment in there. Hand me your wallet."  
  
"My wallet?" Seeing the youth's eyes darken, he pulled out his wallet and watched as the youngster rifled through it. "Eight thousand dollars, murder and treachery must pay well. Now for the pain part of your punishment."  
  
He doubled up as the youth slammed a fist into his belly, forcing the air to explode from his lungs. Before he had a chance to straighten up, the side of his head erupted in pain as the teen drove an elbow into his head. Falling to his knees, he felt his arm being grabbed and yanked, he let out a scream as his shoulders dislocated as his arm was pulled back his elbow broke.  
  
The last of his air left his lungs when a boot from behind connected with his balls. His agony ended with a boot to the head that sent him falling into unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
"You enjoyed that."  
  
Xander heard the accusatory note in Angel's voice and shrugged. "So what if I did? I've read enough of the Watcher Diaries to realise what total bastards the majority of them are. Add to that the girl I love one of their damn tools and this bastard," he kicked the unmoving body at his feet, "is a child abuser. I don't have a problem with what I've done."  
  
"Well I do," the vampire replied coolly before sighing. "Xander, evil people always have a justification for what they do. Do you think Faith didn't justify her actions to herself when she was working for the Mayor?"  
  
Xander glared at the vampire. "Don't you dare bring her into this!"  
  
The vampire sighed again. "Xander, god help me but over the past sixteen months you've become a friend, someone I respect, I don't want to have kill you if you turn evil-."  
  
He dropped his gaze for a second, the simple sincerity in his friend's tone had touched him. When he looked up his trademark goofy smile was back in place. "Friends eh? Does that mean we have to exchange manly hugs."  
  
Angel shook his head and chuckled. "No we don't," his tone turned serious. "Are you going to deal with the girl?"  
  
Xander swallowed and nodded. "Are you going to dump Travers in his car?" the vampire nodded. "Is Kate in?"  
  
"Yes," Angel shook his head, "I just wish we could have got here in time."  
  
"Yeah," he turned an anguished face towards the vampire. "I just hope she'll accept our help."  
  
Angel placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "You'll have to do your best, you always do."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander swallowed hard as he saw the welts, bruises, and burns on the girl's body. He cringed inwardly at the way her face twisted in terror and she flinched away at his approach. As a fellow abuse victim he recognised the sort of fear he saw on her face, although he'd never suffered the type of degradation the girl had suffered.  
  
He forced a smile. "Hi, my name's Xander. I've come to help you." Bending down he picked the girl's clothes off the floor, wincing slightly at their frayed state, and dropped them on the bed beside the girl. "What's your name?"  
  
"April," the girl's voice was lifeless.  
  
"April? That's a pretty name, a real pretty name," Xander forced a smile, he was no good at this social worker shit. "April, why don't you get dressed so I can take you to see a friend of mine who'll help you." He turned his back on the girl. "My friend's a cop, a really good person."  
  
"K..Kenny will kill me."  
  
"Leave Kenny to me." Behind him he heard the rustling sound of clothes being put on.  
  
* * *  
  
"Kate."  
  
"Hi Xander." The cop regarded the girl leaning against the young man, her frightened, doe-like eyes glued to his face. She was a slight little thing, dressed in a worn denim mini and faded to grey halter top, Xander's jacket draped over her slender shoulders, with fine features and an air of timidity surrounding her. Yet somehow the girl seemed to know that Xander would protect her. Kate moved aside to let the two in.  
  
She watched as the young man eased into the bathroom before making his way back into the lounge. She heard the sound of the taps being turned on before the man closed the door behind him. "How is she?" she asked softly.  
  
"Not good," Xander grimaced, Kate noted her friend's face was haggard and weary, years on it that no teenager should have. "Tonight was her first time. And he wasn't gentle," the boy's voice trailed off, his eyes growing haunted.  
  
Kate guessed that the youth was thinking about Faith. From what little she'd managed to piece together Faith had been a victim of her own father from an even younger age. The cop reached up and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'll look after her," she promised.  
  
"Thanks Kate," the young man dropped a bag on her floor. "That's money from the man who -. Her client, there's eight gs there. Use it for whatever, you need anymore call me."  
  
She nodded, he had a big heart. She watched as he made his way to the door. "Going home Xander?"  
  
"No, I've got to collect some donations for April's care."  
  
* * *  
  
Ken Trent struggled to his feet with a curse. "I'm coming!" he roared at the loud knocking on his front door. If one of his bitches had forgotten her keys, he was going to beat the stupid whore into a fucking coma. He took a second to steady himself, the coke he'd scored today was real grade A shit. "Yeah who is it?" he growled, picking up his Smith & Wesson as he made his way to the door.  
  
"Somebody looking for some action."  
  
"Come back in the fucking morning!"  
  
"Now." Trent glanced through the door's peephole and grinned. It was just a kid, maybe five years his junior, this was going to be fun. He'd take the little prick's money, rough him up some, and kick his ass out. A smirk still on his face, he began to pull the door's deadbolt back.  
  
And was sent flying when the boy hit the door with his shoulder. As he hit the floor ass first, he raised his gun to shoot the bastard only for the shit to kick the gun out of his hand. "Nobody tell you it's naughty to play with guns?" the youth asked before kicking him in the groin.  
  
His eyes watering, he attempted to curl in a ball but his attacker grabbed him by his ponytail, dragged him to his knees, and drove him face-first through the glass coffee table, slicing his face to ribbons. Next he felt the back of his shirt being grabbed and was thrown into the wall opposite, his nose shattering with the impact. His body shaking with pain, he dropped to his knees. "No please."  
  
His opponent ignored his begging choosing instead to drive a bone-breaking punch to his jaw. After dropping forward onto the floor, Trent tried to scramble to his feet only to be doubled up by a sharp kick to the stomach. Even as he got to his hands and knees, his adversary stamped on his left hand, breaking his fingers causing him to shriek in agony. After a foot to his mouth that sent teeth flying, he slumped to the floor and watched helplessly as the intruder strode through his apartment picking up bundles of money as he went.  
  
Finally he worked up enough nerve to speak. "W..who are you?" he lisped through his mangled mouth.  
  
"You've heard of the creatures of the night?"  
  
Trent felt a bowel-loosening terror. As a denizen of L.A.'s teeming underworld he'd heard rumours. "You're a vampire?"  
  
"Nope, I'm one of the SOBs who hunts them." The teen looked down at him, his eyes chilling. "Thanks for the money by the way. Ten K will go a long way for looking after April. I hear you've even looked in her direction and I'll make what happened tonight see like gentle foreplay." The youth picked his mobile up off the floor and threw it to him. "If I was you I'd call an ambulance. Bye now." 


	12. 12

Starting Over 12 - Healing  
  
"Where have you been?"  
  
Xander glanced across the pillow to his girlfriend and sighed. He knew his girlfriend's question stemmed from her insecurity about being not worthy of love. "Out with Angel."  
  
"Angel came back hours ago," the girl replied, her face scared. "You've got someone else."  
  
He reached across the bed and gently cupped the girl's face in his hands. "And why would I want anyone else?" he softly asked. "You're gorgeous, funny, tough, sweet, brave, and smart. What guy could want more?"  
  
His girl smiled slowly, it was obvious she was pleased with the compliment. "Rich?"  
  
Xander laughed. "You've got me I'm actually a Hollywood starlet's toyboy."  
  
"So where were you really?"  
  
He hesitated before replying. He didn't want to tell his girlfriend about what had had happened with Travers, just mention of the Council was enough to give her a panic attack. But he knew Faith's tenacious nature meant she wouldn't let it drop until she got an answer of some sort. "We came across a fourteen year old kid on the streets. I took her to Kate for her to look after."  
  
"Oh," Faith's eyes filled with concern. "She five by five?"  
  
Xander forced a smile. "She's had a pretty rough time. But she'll be okay now Kate's looking after her."  
  
"Yeah, Kate's good like that," the brunette ran her fingers across his chest. "Just like somebody else I know."  
  
"And who would that be?" he grinned.  
  
"Oh, I think you know." Faith placed a kiss on his cheek. "Hold me."  
  
* * *  
  
"You sure you want do this?" Xander asked as he started his car up.  
  
"I'm the Slayer right? It's my duty to help people. Maybe I can help April, make her see she's worth something. I had the same problem 'til I met this great guy."  
  
"Oh I think he was the lucky one," Xander beamed at the Slayer. He was so proud of her, he really was. Over the past sixteen months, they'd rescued a few young girls either from abusive families or pimps and Faith had until now shied away from the victims as if scared of the memories their presence brought up. By helping April Xander hoped she could confront and defeat her last personal demon.  
  
"So we moving or what?" Faith snapped impatiently.  
  
"At once mistress of my heart." The car pulled away from the kerb. "What's in the bag hon?"  
  
The Slayer glanced down at the bag she held on her knees. "Just some old clothes of mine and Cordy's."  
  
Xander nearly swerved the car into the path of on-coming traffic in surprise. "Cordy gave away clothes?"  
  
Faith chuckled. "Well she doesn't actually know."  
  
Xander laughed. "Slayer or not you are toast, girl. I've seen hordes of the undead stampede in terror when they're caught between Cordy and her wardrobe."  
  
"Xander, what if I say the wrong thing?" Faith asked.  
  
Without taking his eyes off the road, Xander took Faith's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Although it might be a good idea not to mention vampires and demons. That could lead to embarrassing wetting of underwear."  
  
"Speaking from personal experience, Xand?" the jauntiness had returned to his girlfriend's voice.  
  
"No when I saw my first vampire I ran and hid behind -," his voice trailed off.  
  
"You can say her name Xand," Faith's voice was quiet.  
  
"I don't want to."  
  
"Xand, you're allowed to talk about them, they were your friends."  
  
"I'm not interested. End of conversation."  
  
"Okay."  
  
He winced at the hurt he heard in Faith's voice. "Shit Faith I'm sorry. It's not you I'm angry with. It's just it still hurts to think about how things ended."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Xander shook his head. "Not your fault beautiful. Things were falling apart long before you came back into my life and I haven't regretting coming here with you for a second."  
  
"Ditto," Faith snuggled into his side, pulling his arm around her shoulders.  
  
For the rest of the journey Xander enjoyed the warmth and feel of his girlfriend's body pressed against him. He decided that life just didn't get any better than that. It was with great reluctance that he pulled into the car park outside Kate's apartment building. "We're here."  
  
* * *  
  
"Hi Kate."  
  
"Xander, Faith." It was only through years of experience in the interrogation room that she managed to keep the shock of seeing Faith from showing. Usually the former street kid avoided any possible contact with her. "Come in." She stepped aside to allow the two to enter.  
  
"Where's April?" the Slayer asked, her voice carrying a rare note of hesitancy.  
  
"Through there," Kate nodded towards the room where April had spent the night. The raven-haired girl took a breath, hugged her boyfriend, and set off for the room.  
  
"Do you want a drink?"  
  
The young man tore his eyes away from his departing girl-friend. "I'll have an OJ please."  
  
Kate smiled. "Why don't you sit down in the lounge?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Nothing was said for the next few minutes. Finally Xander broke the silence. "How was last night?"  
  
"Filled with nightmares," Kate grimaced. "I slept the night on a camp bed in her room. I've started making a few phone calls to my contacts to get temporary custody."  
  
Xander dropped several bundles of notes on the table. "This is towards her care."  
  
Kate's mouth dropped open. "W..where did you get that from?"  
  
"A contribution from her pimp to her retirement fund. Don't worry, I didn't hurt him," Xander shrugged, "well much."  
  
Kate decided not to press the matter, given the screaming fits her young guest had endured during the night she wasn't inclined to feel merciful, but as a cop she really didn't want to know the details. Suddenly Xander broke into a smile as laughter came out of April's room. "It'll do Faith good to have someone to talk to who doesn't know about her being a Slayer. Make her feel more normal. She hasn't felt normal in a long time."  
  
Normal, such an under-rated state of being. Kate's own childhood had been far from ideal but her parents had always protected her. From what she'd been able to gather from observing Xander and Faith, and from conversations with Giles and Angel, the same could be said for either of her visitors. She reached forward and placed her hand on Xander's forearm. "And how about you, how are you?" she asked softly.  
  
The youth shrugged. "I'm okay. As long as Faith's alright I'm fine, I don't matter."  
  
Kate felt a surge of fury at the parents that had conditioned this young man to feel worthless. "Xander, listen to me. I've seen the people you've helped. I know what the people you work with, your friends, think of you. I know what I think of you - and you do matter! And you're not telling me I'm wrong are you?"  
  
"No ma'am."  
  
"That ma'am rolled off the lips awfully easy Xander, get arrested by many lady cops back in Sunnydale?" she teased, relieved that the youth's hunched posture had straightened.  
  
"Only in my frequent dreams Kate, although they were never as gorgeous as you. Which reminds me, I was wondering if Faith could borrow your uniform and handcuffs one night?"  
  
Kate chuckled. "Careful Xander. I might have to run you in for soliciting an officer of the law."  
  
Xander grinned. "Oh roleplay, I love them."  
  
* * *  
  
It was nearly sunset by the time they were leaving the building. Their day had gone well, Xander reflected, April had relaxed some looking up to Faith as a big sister and him as a brother. The street kid had even allowed them to take her out for a burger in the afternoon.  
  
Xander's good mood lasted exactly ten seconds after entering the Angel Investigations' office. Everybody was there, their faces tight with tension. Xander exchanged worried glances with Faith. "What's wrong gang?"  
  
Coredlia wordlessly pressed the answering machine's Recall button. Xander gave Faith's arm a reassuring squeeze as he recognised the voice. "Hi guys, it's me. I need help. There's a hell-goddess called Glory after my sister she wants to use her to open a portal into hell. It's too tough, I can't do this alone. Please, I need help."  
  
Xander felt his legs grow shaky. Sunnydale? Could he ever return? "What are you going to do Angel?" he asked, it was struggle to keep his voice steady but he managed it.  
  
The vampire smiled humourlessly. "A hell-goddess? Buffy can't handle that on her own. I'm going and so are the others. You and Faith can stay here, hold down L.A. for us while we're gone."  
  
"This is an end of world situation isn't it?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Xander paused in thought. He was grateful for the out his friend had offered him, and knew none of them would blame him if he stayed here. He glanced down at the girl beside him. Whatever he decided he knew Faith would stand by him.  
  
On the other hand his friends were going into battle and no matter what he'd always stood beside them. And this threat sounded way too big to let grievances get in the way. He closed his eyes for a moment as images of Dawn laughing at a joke or funny story he'd told her flashed before him. After sighing he stalked into the bedroom he shared with Faith and came out with his Desert Eagle in its shoulder holster and his Mossberg 590 cradled in his hands. "When we leaving?"  
  
* * *  
  
Faith smiled at her boyfriend. Whatever it took she knew her guy would do the right thing. Racing across the office floor she flung her arms around her boyfriend's neck and kissed him full on the lips. After a few seconds she pulled away to see her boyfriend grinning at her. "Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?"  
  
"Proud of you," she whispered into his ear.  
  
"If that's what I get for being noble and self-sacrificing, I'll have to try it more often then," her boyfriend whispered back.  
  
"Oh stop the bloody love in!" Spike growled. "I'm just grateful we've got somebody with some soddin' brains to run the operation."  
  
"Um, excuse me?"  
  
The bleached blond vampire skewered Wesley with a withering glance. "Oh yeah Watcher Boy, lots of dangerous things come jumping out of your books don't they?"  
  
"I really don't know why the two of them don't just stop the pretence and come out, after all they argue more than any married couple I've ever seen," Xander's muttered comment set off an attack of the giggles from his girlfriend.  
  
"Piss off whelp, I heard that."  
  
Angel stepped in before a three way argument broke out. "We've got half an hour before sunset. Let's use that time to get all our weaponry and any books that might be useful. Wes, you and Cordy are with me. Gunn, take Spike, Faith, and Xander with you." The vampire took an unneeded breath. "Let's get moving people." 


	13. 13

Starting Over 13 - A Glorious Homecoming  
  
"You're quiet hon."  
  
Xander glanced into the back seat at his girlfriend, sat beside Spike. How could he explain the maelstrom of emotions assaulting him? The last time he returned he'd been so scared and angry at what Finn had done to Faith he'd barely given the past a second thought. But now. He glanced at his girlfriend's worried face again and realised he probably didn't have to explain his feelings, she almost certainly felt much the same. "Just scared is all."  
  
"We could always turn back man."  
  
Xander smiled gratefully at his bud. "No Gunn. Much as I'd like to, people need our help. Worlds to save."  
  
"Usual shit then."  
  
He laughed at his friend's comment. "Yeah. I can't let anything happen to Dawn."  
  
"Oh yeah," Faith's voice broke in, a note of humour bubbling through the nervousness. "Wonder if she's still got that crush on you."  
  
Xander chuckled. "I'm sure she still has. After all I'm irresistible."  
  
"Bloody Summers women have lousy taste," Spike groused, "first the Slayer falls for the galloping poofter, then Nibblet falls for the whelp."  
  
"Spike what have I told you about calling Dawn that?"  
  
"How about Cell."  
  
"Faith?"  
  
"Ow!" Spike let out a yelp as Faith slapped the back of his head. "That's right pick on the defenceless vampire!"  
  
"Works for me," replied his girlfriend.  
  
"So," Gunn broke into the bickering, "do I smell some scandal?"  
  
"Oh you have no idea. See, Dawn's B's fourteen year old sister. She'd had a jones for Xand since forever. Man, the looks she used to send him. Talk about X-Rated! I remember this one -."  
  
To save himself from further embarrassment, Xander tuned out of the conversation. Instead he consumed him thoughts about what was awaiting upon his return. Distinctly unhappy ones.  
  
* * *  
  
"You ready for this boytoy?"  
  
Xander turned from his inspection of the Summers house to his girlfriend. Angel's car was already there, so everybody was waiting for their grand entrance. Another comforting thought. "No, but let's get it over with."  
  
They were half-way up the driveway when the door flew open and a small figure charged out of the house and into Xander. For the first time since hearing Buffy's phone call, Xander felt truly happy. A grin on his face, he lifted the girl up and whirled her round before putting her down on the ground. "Hi Dawn Patrol, miss me?"  
  
"You bet!" Dawn stared suspiciously at Spike. "Is he still neutered?"  
  
"We prefer the term impotent but yeah." Xander grinned at the scowling vampire.  
  
"Good." Xander's eyes widened as Dawn turned and launched a kick at Spike's shin that the vampire wasn't quick enough to dodge. "That's for kidnapping me two years ago!"  
  
Xander and Faith dissolved in laughter as the limping vampire disappeared into the house, muttering curses about little brats to a highly unsympathetic Gunn. Their laughter died as Dawn turned her gaze from Spike's retreating back to Faith. "You still psycho?" she demanded.  
  
Faith looked nervously at him. "Uh, no," she finally replied.  
  
"Good." Dawn threw her arms around his girl-friend and began hugging her. After a second, Faith returned the hug, a look of delight on her face. "Missed you Faith."  
  
"Ditto, pip."  
  
Xander smiled at the scene before him. Consumed with his own dreads of his return to Sunnydale he'd forgotten how close Faith had been to Dawn before her descent into darkness. The younger girl had idolised Faith as an older and wilder sister and in turn, Faith had revelled in the role. His smile died as he noticed the figure watching them from the doorway. "Let's go in."  
  
* * *  
  
Buffy let her sister and fellow Slayer into the house before stopping Xander with a hand on his chest. "Thanks for coming Xander." The look her former friend gave her cut her heart in two. "Just remember I'm here for my friends and not for you. My only concern is making sure none of them get hurt and that nothing happens to Dawn."  
  
The Slayer fought back tears as Xander brushed past her and walked into the lounge. She'd thought things had mended a little after their meeting in L.A. and Giles' return, but obviously not. Forcing her pain down, she followed him into the crowded lounge and started talking. "Giles, you take Wes, Cordy, Will, Tara, and Amy around to your place and research Glory. Angel, you and Spike go to Willy's and see if you can find out anything about Glory's plans. Faith, you and me are patrolling."  
  
"Like hell."  
  
Buffy turned to Xander, her never-long temper close to snapping, she accepted she'd hurt him in the past but that didn't give him the right to question her every move. "Why not?" she asked through gritted teeth.  
  
"Because there's no way I'm risking my girlfriend getting a stake in the back."  
  
Xander's coldly-delivered answer rocked her back on her heels. Did he think so little of her? "How dare you?" she snapped.  
  
"It's for your own good."  
  
"And how do you work that out?" she demanded.  
  
Buffy paled as Xander raised his shotgun, pointing its gaping muzzle at her. "Because if you come back without her I won't wait to hear what happened. I'd just blow your head off. Angel and Spike I trust, you I don't."  
  
Buffy scowled. Nobody threatened her in her own home. She turned at a touch on the arm to see Angel next to her, his face taut with tension. "Both of you calm down. We're on the same side," he ordered. "Buff, you and I will go to Willy's. Faith and Spike can patrol."  
  
"Fine," she turned back to Xander. "This isn't over."  
  
Xander smiled coldly. "Wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
* * *  
  
"How dare he!"  
  
Angel winced as yet another tombstone cracked under a single punch from his ex. Somehow he guessed Willy wasn't going to enjoy their visit at all. "Calm down."  
  
"Calm down!" Angel winced, vampire ears weren't built to take sound at that pitch. "After what he did in my own home? He's lucky I didn't take five seconds to kick his ass."  
  
"I would take a hell of a lot longer than that."  
  
Buffy snorted. "Don't make me laugh, he's just -."  
  
Angel felt rage overwhelm him. Grabbing the Slayer's arm he spun her round to face him. "There you go again demeaning him. Have you any idea how much you hurt him?"  
  
"No," Buffy shouted, her eyes flashing angrily. "Why don't you tell me Mr. Xander Expert?"  
  
He took an uneeded breath. Maybe if he was really lucky she'd just stake him. No, still here. "His mother and father weren't interested in him, never missed an opportunity to tell him what a worthless piece of shit he was," Angel paused, unwilling to recount such painful memories. "Once, and Xander himself doesn't know this, when I was Angelus, the night after you were released from hospital, I went round to Xander's house to get him for saving you. Instead," his voice shook with the memory. "I watched as his own father beat him into unconsciousness while Xander just took it. In the end I just left him, figuring that he'd suffer more if I left him where he was."  
  
"No," he barely heard Buffy's shocked whisper as he recalled that night. The drunk's look of sadistic glee as he beat Xander, his friend's look of pained acceptance, and his inner demon's rejoicing.  
  
"He never had the usual parents. The sort a child grows up idolising. He was directionless, Willow and Jesse his only anchors. Then this beautiful warrior for good arrives in town. As well as falling for her in a big way he also hero-worships her. He saves her life, risks his own for her, because his doesn't matter anyway. Yet despite all he does, none of it matters to the girl, she still treats him like a no-body. Doesn't give him the respect he craves."  
  
"That's so not true," Buffy protested weakly.  
  
"Then this kindred spirit arrives in town. Another beautiful warrior for good, but with a similar and even worse background to the boy. The girl tries to fit in but the others don't let her into her gang, no respect for this kid either. The girl goes off the rails but the boy knows the pain she feels and decides to stand by her, even when his friends order him not to. Boy leaves town with girl to work for a devastatingly handsome champion for good."  
  
"You finished?" Buffy's tone was dismissive but her complexion had paled considerably. At least some of what he'd said had hit home, maybe some of the wounds could begin to heal. "Cause Willy is waiting."  
  
* * *  
  
"It's pretty bad between you and Buff?"  
  
Xander stared at Dawn's pale face. For once he was unable to decide what to say. The teen hadn't spoken since his confrontation with her sister. He really wished she hadn't had to see that but Faith was his priority. "Pretty bad, yeah."  
  
"W..will you ever come home?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"My home's in L.A. with Faith now," he replied.  
  
"B..but can I come visit?"  
  
He ruffled Dawn's hair before hugging her. "If big sis gives you the okay, sure." He kissed her on the head. "Weekends, holidays. Heck, I might sue for joint custody."  
  
"So kiddo I'm sure you've got plenty of stories about Xander that you'd just love to share with his new friends."  
  
Xander grinned his thanks at Gunn for the diversion. As the others talked he looked round the lounge, it was much the same as it had been the last time he'd been there. His smile faded as he noticed the family photographs on the mantelpiece. He'd wanted to come back for Joyce's funeral six weeks ago but she didn't deserve her memory to be tainted by a scene. In the end he'd sent a wreath that read 'To the only real mom I ever had'.  
  
Unable to cope with the memories he glanced out of the windows and tensed. "Gunn, get Dawn and go to the basement."  
  
"What's up man?" already his friend was moving.  
  
"Glory's minions outside."  
  
"Shit, you coming with us?"  
  
"Nope," Xander grinned as he lifted his shotgun. "Got some excess aggression to work off. Haven't single-handedly saved the world in what, oh 48 hours. Don't unlock the door for anyone who isn't witty and handsome."  
  
"Just Angel then?" Gunn nodded. "Good luck man."  
  
* * *  
  
Xander didn't have to wait long for the attack. The demons came crashing through the window. He met them with blast of consecrated ammo from his shotgun as he crouched behind the hastily over-turned sofa, taking three down in quick succession, his shots tearing their unfortunate recipients in two. The fourth got close enough to grab at the shotgun but Xander drove its barrel into its face before blowing its head off.  
  
Dropping the shotgun he drew his pistol and began firing at the remaining demons. He took out another three before one, braver or dumber than the others, launched himself over the sofa and onto Xander. Cursing, he drove the butt of his empty automatic into the beast's forehead. The creature's eyes glazed over but it continued its attack, its scaly hands choking the life out of him even as its fangs got ever nearer to his throat. In desperation he drew his combat dagger and thrust it repeatedly into its chest. Eventually the beast crumpled to the rapidly bloodying carpet.  
  
Xander rose slowly, his lungs greedily taking in air, combat knife in one hand and double-bladed axe in the other. To his surprise the expected demons had left, leaving behind a pretty blonde woman perhaps five years his senior dressed in a fashionable black dress. "You killed my minions."  
  
"I try." Xander blinked, this was Glory? She wasn't quite what he expected. "After all they were trying to kill me."  
  
The goddess stamped her foot. "I want the key!"  
  
"As big bads go you ain't shit." Xander advanced warily on the hellgod. "The Master, Angelus, Spike, the Judge, and the Mayor all way scarier." He launched a two-pronged attack, thrusting upwards with his combat knife at her stomach and swinging at her neck with his axe.  
  
"Of course I could be wrong," muttered Xander as the goddess effortlessly grabbed both of his wrists stopping his inches from the target. Thinking quickly, the young man stepped forward and slammed his forehead into the goddess' face, only for his legs to buckle with the pain that resulted from his action. A second later and his hands were twisted violently, snapping his wrists like twigs, causing his weapons to drop to the carpet.  
  
"Where's my key?"  
  
He was helpless to prevent the shrieking goddess lifting him by the front of his shirt and slamming him into the wall above the mantelpiece, sending framed photographs flying. "I hear the Bahamas is good this time of the year," he gasped, ignoring the pain roaring through his body. "Maybe she took a jet?"  
  
The goddess let out a scream of fury before throwing him headfirst at the patio windows. "Oh boy," Xander muttered, "this is going to hurt." The glass shattered with a mighty crash, a dozen or so shards slicing into his body. Such was the power of the goddess' throw he didn't come to a landing until he nearly the top of the garden.  
  
Xander moaned in agony, his entire body felt on fire. He was fairly sure he had several cracked ribs, his vision was blurred, never a good sigh, and his body was covered in cuts. He wanted nothing more than to just lie on the damp lawn, to never move again, but - he knew he couldn't. Screaming with the pain he forced himself to his knees and pulled out his back-up gun, a Walther PPK, out of the back of his trousers and aimed at the advancing goddess.  
  
"Things just keep getting better and better," he slurred as he watched through half-swollen shut eyes as the bullets bounced off the goddess.  
  
Laughing the goddess grabbed him by his throat and lifted him off the ground. "Where's my key, monkey?"  
  
For once in his life Xander hadn't got the energy for a witty reply. Instead he spat in the blonde's face. "Eat shit." And then his world went black. 


	14. 14

Starting Over 14 - Re-Building  
  
Angel glanced warily at his ex-girlfriend's back as he followed her up the road that led to her house. When they'd entered Willy's, Buffy hadn't even bothered to ask any questions at first, just wrecked the place, then dragged a shell-shocked Willy over the counter and demanded answers. As an interrogation tactic it was effective, brutal but effective.  
  
He allowed the ghost of a smile to flicker across his face. He'd never seen Buffy act so psychotic. "Xander, you really have a way with the ladies," he chuckled. The chuckle died when Buffy let out a cry and started running. Cursing, he chased after her. "Buffy! What's wrong?"  
  
The Slayer didn't appear to hear his question but in a few seconds he could see for himself what had terrified her. The front door to the Summers' house lay in the middle of the garden while the lounge windows had all been shattered.  
  
"Damn it," he hurriedly followed Buffy through the wrecked doorway and into the lounge. The room looked like a small war had been fought there, glass lay scattered across the carpet, an over-turned sofa was in the middle of the floor surrounded by a number of demonic corpses while the usually pristine walls were marred by gunpowder burns and the patio doors shattered.  
  
Peering into the dark back garden Angel watched as Buffy rushed over to Xander's crumpled body, knelt down, and cradled his head in her laps, tears streaking her cheeks. His mouth dry with fear, Angel moved towards his friend only to catch a slight form hurrying towards an oblivious Buffy.  
  
"Xander!" the screech that came from the figure was animal-like, almost recognisable as human. Seeing the tell-tale glint of a knife in the shape's hand, Angel leapt towards the figure, tackling the intruder around the waist, bundling them both to the ground.  
  
"Faith!" he bellowed into the writhing girl's ear as he struggled to restrain her, his muscles straining and writhing with the strain and his body shuddering under the blows he was receiving from the enraged Slayer. He knew he couldn't contain her for a long, she was just too strong, he had to make her understand. "Buffy was with me! It's not her fault!" he had to repeat his shout three times until some semblance of intelligence returned to the girl's coal black eyes.  
  
"Honestly?" the girl asked, her voice trembling and her face streaked with tears.  
  
Too exhausted from his struggle, Angel could only nod wearily before rolling off the Slayer. Faith immediately sprang to her feet and rushed over to her injured boyfriend, pushing aside a stunned Buffy.  
  
The blonde Slayer snarled and stepped towards Faith. "Buffy!" Angel intercepted the older Slayer's advance, "what about Dawn?"  
  
Buffy paled, her eyes widened with terror. "Dawnie!" she screamed before rushing back into the house.  
  
Angel turned to follow her only to stop as he sensed a presence behind. Turning, he looked at his grand-childe, noting how his fellow vampire's face was even paler than normal and devoid of its normal cockiness. "Watch over them," he nodded towards Faith and Xander. "And phone Wes and the others, tell them to get over here now."  
  
Spike nodded. "Get right on it."  
  
* * *  
  
Faith heard none of the conversation going on around her. Her concentration, her entire being, was centred on watching the slight rising of her boyfriend's chest, willing it to continue. When she'd seen Buffy holding her head, her first thought was that she'd attacked him for talking back to her earlier and was about to snap his neck until Angel had interfered. Now though her only concern was looking after her man.  
  
She'd nursed him back to health on a number of occasions in the past sixteen months, but he'd never looked so bad. His jaw looked like it was broken, as did his left arm, both wrists, and left cheekbone, his right shoulder appeared to be dislocated while he had a four inch gash across his forehead and a two inch one on his right cheek. Worse still was his body, his clothes were torn to shreds and her love appeared to be bleeding from a score of wounds. "You can't leave me baby," she whispered.  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to an unusually pensive looking Spike. "Whelp's tough lass," the vampire gruffly comforted, "he'll be alright." The vampire winked. "Too bloody frightened of you not to be."  
  
Faith's answering giggle died at the thought of Xander dying. No, the thought was too frightening to face. He couldn't, he was her reason for living. Once again she felt her eyes begin to burn with tears.  
  
"What's this? Tears from super girl?"  
  
Xander? A delighted smile spread across her face as she regarded her boyfriend's pained but awake face. "Guess you're my kryptonite baby," she replied as she fought back tears of joy.  
  
"Oh bloody hell, if you two get any sappier I'll have to find a nice picket fence to impale myself on." The bleached blonde crouched over the injured youth and grinned. "How you feeling mate?"  
  
"Like I was in a handicap match against Angelus and old Spike."  
  
The vampire nodded slowly. "That Glory packs one hell of a punch."  
  
Glory. Faith felt a surge of her old homicidal fury at just the mention of the bitch's name. For what she'd done to her Xander, she'd tear the cow limb from limb.  
  
The Slayer realised her boyfriend was trying to get to his feet. She firmly but gently restrained him. "No Xand," she said softly. "Don't risk any further injury by moving. Rest."  
  
"Damn it," the young man growled, his voice weak. "I have to know what happened to Dawn."  
  
"She's been taken." The words came from Angel as he supported a dazed- looking Buffy. "We found three dead demons in the basement but no Dawn or Gunn."  
  
* * *  
  
"Good lord." Spike had said things were bad, but this was several stages beyond. The house looked like something out of the blitz. Giles staggered dazedly through the house, followed by his fellow Watcher and the others.  
  
All thoughts of the house were forgotten when he saw the state of Xander. "What happened?"  
  
The youth grinned weakly. "Hey G-Man you know me and parties."  
  
Giles' lips quirked up into a smile. "Why do you think I never let you hold any parties at my place?" after a nod to Faith, he knelt beside the battered teen. "How do you feel son?"  
  
The youth grimaced. "Been worse. Course with the head trauma I can't actually remember when."  
  
He glanced up at Angel. "Dawn?"  
  
"She's gone."  
  
He sighed. All their efforts undone. He felt a hand on his arm and looked down to a tearful Xander. "I couldn't stop her Giles."  
  
For once he could not find anything to say to comfort the young man. "It's not your fault," Giles glanced up in surprise at Buffy.  
  
Xander's face twisted in misery. "I'm sorry Buffy, I am a screw-up. You were right -."  
  
"No," the Slayer shook her head. "I was wrong, you killed a ton of demons tonight and I'm guessing it was Glory who stopped you. And I haven't been doing much better against her, the only difference is I heal quicker."  
  
Tears fell from the young man's eyes. "Thanks Buff." Giles smiled, perhaps some old bridges were at last being re-built.  
  
His Slayer leaned over Xander and placed a gentle kiss on her old friend's forehead. "Just concentrate on getting better. The ambulance will be here soon."  
  
"Cancel it. G-Man's going to do a healing spell."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Giles turned a shocked face towards Xander. Such spells were dangerous in the extreme and involved taking life-force from the spell caster, or the spell's subject, or both.  
  
"Giles, guys. I'm coming with you tomorrow. Gunn is my buddy and Dawn is one of my girls. And nobody hurts one of my girls."  
  
"I know a spell." Giles felt his eyes roll back in his head. Bloody yank teenagers, didn't they ever learn to keep their gobs shut? He turned to look at a nervous looking Amy, silently willing the girl to keep silent. Instead she spoke again, her tone nervous but growing in confidence as she continued. "B..but it takes years of life from the subject. Judging from your injuries maybe as many as five."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Faith, hon I'm doing this," Xander's voice was weak but he managed a grin. "Look at it this way. My great-grandpa lived to be eighty-one, my grand- pa's still annoying the hell out of us at seventy three. I'm only twenty, do you really want another sixty years with me?"  
  
Only Giles was close enough to hear Faith's muttered reply. "Six hundred wouldn't be enough."  
  
"Ditto," the young man muttered back. "But there's no way in hell you're facing her without me."  
  
"Five by five," the brunette's voice was shaky.  
  
"Thanks for understanding."  
  
Something occurred to Giles, turning he shouted to Wesley. "Get the Sword of Rinaldo out of my car!"  
  
"The Sword of Rinaldo?"  
  
Giles turned to a curious-looking Angel. "It is the sword that Rinaldo used to defeat Acathla the first time he rose. I had it flown over here from England care of the Council."  
  
"And will it work on Glory?" Buffy broke in, her eyes hopeful.  
  
"I don't know," Giles replied, "the fact the sword banished a demon of similar strength to Glory is hopeful but some of these weapons are effective only on particular demons. However Xander's injuries give us an increased chance."  
  
"So glad to be of service."  
  
Giles ignored Xander's grunt. Instead he turned to the red-eyed Slayer knelt at the other side of his son. "You love him?"  
  
Anger flared in the brunette's eyes. "How can you ask me-."  
  
"Faith," he interrupted, "it's important."  
  
"Yes I love him," the brunette snapped back at him, "more than I ever thought possible."  
  
Giles smiled. It was good that this former wild child had found peace with his son and that Xander had found someone who completed him. "And you Xander, do you love her?"  
  
"With all my heart."  
  
"Good," he turned back to the watching crowd. "Legend has it Rinaldo's lover was a Slayer who died at Acathla's hands. He dipped the point of his sword in one of the dying woman's wounds and swore an oath to avenge her death. If we change the wording -."  
  
Faith's eyes slowly filled with understanding. "Uh, uh, no way! I'm not sticking a sword into Xander."  
  
Giles opened his mouth to argue his case was beaten to it by Xander. "Faith hon. You want to get this bitch for me right?" The Slayer nodded unwillingly. "Well according to G-Man this gives you best chance of doing that."  
  
"Five by five," Faith whispered with a nod.  
  
Giles nodded in approval. After thanking Wesley for bringing the sword to him. He turned to Faith and quickly scribbled Rinaldo's oath for her. "This is what Rinaldo said according to legend."  
  
The Slayer nodded quietly before turning to Xander. "Is there any wound that would hurt less Xand?"  
  
Xander grimaced. "No, just do it."  
  
"I'm sorry sweetie," Faith kissed Xander on the forehead before gracefully rising and easing her sword into one of the young man's gaping wounds in Xander's right side. The youth shuddered with pain but didn't cry out. "For justice. For the world. And for the love that has fallen I will rid the world of Glorificus." As soon as she'd finished speaking the girl dropped to her knees and began crying. "I'm sorry Xand."  
  
Giles hugged the girl around the shoulders. "Faith he's going to be alright." He turned to the others, more exhausted than he remembered being in months. "Angel, Spike, Buffy, Cordelia, take her inside. The rest of us will do the spell now." He glanced down at the body lying on the garden. "I'm afraid this is going to hurt a lot Xander."  
  
The injured youth arched an eyebrow. "What even more than the one time Faith used a riding crop?"  
  
Giles flushed. "Oh thank you so much for that most edifying image." 


	15. 15

Starting Over 15 - Reasons to Fight  
  
"So we're in this demon karaoke bar and this green demon, the owner, a cool guy called Lorne, comes over and asks who's going to sing - Xander looks at Spike, nods and the two of them get up on stage," Xander groaned as Faith paused theatrically.  
  
"So what did they sing?" asked an intrigued looking Buffy.  
  
"I Got You Babe! Their encore - 'It Takes Two'."  
  
Xander glared at the laughing girls flanking him. "I think I preferred it when you were mortal enemies," he muttered. He had thought the beating he'd received the previous night and the agonising healing he'd been forced to endure would have entitled him to some sympathy. He should have known better.  
  
To tune out the sound of the two Slayers embarrassing him, he decided to mentally review Angel's plan of attack, it was a plan with only one virtue that he could see - simplicity. The two vampires were going to take out Glory's main henchman, Doc. The Watchers, Cordy, and the witches would spear-head a diversionary attack on the front of the building, hopefully drawing the attention of Glory's minions. While they.  
  
They had the most difficult and dangerous part of the plan to accomplish. The three of them were sneaking into the back of Glory's mansion through the tunnels that the blueprints that Willow had hacked off the net. He and Buff were going to rescue Gunn and Dawn while Faith was going to use the sword to deal with the hell goddess.  
  
Faith. A sudden stab of fear pierced his heart nearly causing him to stumble. After last night's healing he'd been too exhausted to do anything but sleep with her holding him. What if he never saw her smile or heard her laugh? What if he never got to hold her in his arms, kiss her, or make love to her? What if-.  
  
"You okay boytoy?"  
  
The sound of his girlfriend's concerned voice pulled him out of his reverie. He forced a smile down at her anxious face. "Just worried about my baby."  
  
"Don't be." His girl-friend wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "You're going to rescue Gunn and Pip and I'm going to kill me a hell goddess, maybe mount her head on our wall. Easy as."  
  
"Interesting decoration," he ran a finger up his girl-friend's face. "You promise?"  
  
"Would I lie to you?" the Slayer grabbed his head and pulled him down into a kiss. After a few seconds tasting her lips, he plunged his tongue into her eagerly waiting mouth, wrapping his tongue around hers. Xander slid his hands under his girl's shirt, onto her taut stomach before slowly moving up to her -.  
  
"Ew! Get a room! Spike said you were bad, but this is like watching a porno!"  
  
Xander reluctantly pulled away from his grinning love and turned to face the blonde. "Way to spoil the moment Buff."  
  
"Yeah B," Faith paused from tucking her shirt in to look towards the other Slayer, "and how do you know about pornos, watch many?"  
  
The blonde's mouth opened then clamped shut. Turning on her heel she marched on muttering under her breath. Faith turned back to him, her eyes innocently wide. "What? Was it something I said?"  
  
* * *  
  
"I.I'm scared."  
  
"Don't be kiddo," Gunn ignored the pain of his possibly broken forearm to pull Dawn close to him. Disregarding the hurt in his battered face, he grinned down at the young teen and ruffled the young girl's hair. "Angel, the crew, and your big sis aren't going to let anything happen to you. Glory is looking at one hell of an ass kicking."  
  
"What do you think happened to Xander?"  
  
He hid a grimace at the girl's worried question. He'd heard the enquiry a number of times since they'd awoken. When Glory's army had dragged him semi-conscious from the Summers house he'd caught a blurred glimpse of the wrecked front room. But no sign of his friend. "I don't know kiddo," he replied finally.  
  
"But the fact he's not here with us, that's not good is it?"  
  
Gunn scowled. What the kid said more or less echoed his own thoughts. "Maybe he ran for it," he suggested weakly. Total bs of course, he'd never seen Xander run when any of them were in trouble. Quite the opposite in fact, the sight of a friend's injury sent his bud into a homicidal rage.  
  
The scornful look Dawn sent him told him that she believed what he'd said about much as he did. He was saved from having to make up any more lies by the sound of their cell door opening and half-a-dozen heavily armed demons walking in. Their leader spoke, his voice a growl. "Time for the sacrifice."  
  
Gunn pushed Dawn behind him and stood. He'd killed three of them the previous night but then he'd been uninjured and armed. "That isn't going to happen," he spoke with a confidence he didn't feel.  
  
"Couldn't agree more," Gunn's heart leapt when he heard a familiar voice behind the demons.  
  
* * *  
  
Angel leaned backwards avoiding the forked tongue by mere inches before grabbing it as it recoiled. His muscles straining under the effort of restraining the tongue, he bellowed at his companion. "Spike now!"  
  
Instantly the bleached blonde vampire surged to his feet with a speed that belied his battered condition and sliced through the protruding tongue with one swing of his knife before thrusting his blade into Doc's throat.  
  
The demon hit the floor with a thud. Grinning slightly, Spike reached into his duster pocket, brought out his silver drinking flask, unfastened it, and poured its contents onto the thrashing body at his feet before pulling out his Zippo and lighting the body.  
  
The screams of the dying demon echoing in their ears, they moved over to the window. Beneath them the Watchers and Cordy were shooting crossbow bolts into the swarming demons while the trio of Wicca bombarded their enemies with a variety of spells. But for every demon that fell another three took their place. "Things not looking good," commented Angel.  
  
"Yeah," Spike agreed as he lit a cigarette. "Don't know why they're bothering with the weapons though. Have the cheerleader talk to them for five minutes they'd soon be running for the hills."  
  
"Well it works with us," Angel replied, "so are we going down to help?"  
  
Spike threw his cigarette onto Doc's still smouldering body before nodding.  
"Got nothing better to do."  
  
* * *  
  
Gunn felt a wave of relief at the blonde Slayer's voice. He watched as the demons began to turn back towards the door only for a shotgun blast to tear the two monsters nearest the doorway in half. Even before the two bodies had hit the floor Buffy was amongst the surviving monsters. Her sword flickered sideways decapitating the demon to her right even as she planted a side kick in the ribs of the one to her left lunged at her sending it crashing to the ground. The remaining two lunged at her but she deflected their advance by first side-stepping the nearest one's charge even as her sword flew up to cleave the demon from the left hip to the right shoulder. Then the Slayer leapt into the air and into a roundhouse kick that deposited the remaining demon on the ground with a mighty thud. Upon landing she quickly moved through the room, her sword tearing through the necks of the two demons she'd just knocked down.  
  
"Well it's lucky you turned up, I thought I was going to have get medieval on their asses." Gunn smiled as Dawn ran into her sister's arms. His grin widened as he recognised the shotgun-toting figure lurking in the doorway. "Xander! How in the hell did you get through last night without getting injured?"  
  
His friend grimaced. "I didn't, healing spell."  
  
"Not good?"  
  
"Like being operated on without an anaesthetic," Xander smiled at him. "Good to see you're still breathing." Xander glanced at the blonde. "Buff, I'm going to head off after Faith."  
  
The young man turned to lead only to be stopped by the Slayer grabbing his arms. "Xander -."  
  
"Buff, I owe that bitch some serious payback for last night. And there's no way I'm leaving my girl to face her on her own," Xander's eyes flared and his jaw tightened.  
  
"I wasn't going to stop you, I've learnt that lesson," the Slayer reached upwards and gently kissed Xander on the cheek. "Just be careful. I've only just got you back; I don't want to lose you again."  
  
"Don't worry." After quickly hugging Dawn and nodding at him, his friend marched out of the room.  
  
Gunn chuckled. "If I was you I'd be worried about Glory instead of Xander." He'd seen that cold-eyed stare in Xander's eyes enough times in the past few months to know that whenever his friend got that look carnage and havoc always followed.  
  
* * *  
  
Faith eased the throne room door open and slid inside. Her eyes narrowed at the woman sat on the throne and knew from B's description it had to be Glory. Realising she had no chance of sneaking up on the hell goddess unaware she kicked the door shut. "So you're the bitch who attacked my Xand last night?" she was conscious of how her voice echoed in the cavernous hall. "Time for some serious ass-kicking bitch."  
  
The goddess rose to face her, her gaze coolly arrogant. "Oh, it was your boyfriend I killed last time. He begged most wonderfully."  
  
Faith laughed harshly. "Wrong on both counts. My boy doesn't beg and you didn't kill him."  
  
"Really," the goddess arched an eyebrow. "I'll have to correct that mistake."  
  
"Like hell," Faith drew her sword from the scabbard on her back. "You'll have to go through me first."  
  
"Gladly," the goddess charged forward. Faith ran to meet her but sidestepped at the last second, leaving only the blade behind. Her eyes wide with shock, Glory attempted to stop her head-long rush but was only partially successful, and the edge of Faith's weapon cut a thin furrow across the flat stomach of the hell goddess.  
  
"You've ruined my dress!" Glory screamed, her eyes burning with rage.  
  
Faith coolly licked the goddess' blood off her blade, to her surprise it didn't taste any different from her own when her mom had bloodied her lip or when a vamp got lucky. She smirked at the hell goddess. "Oh I'd say you've got bigger problems, Slayer's got a taste for goddess' blood."  
  
"Taste this!" Glory leapt at her, her hands out-stretched like claws. She dropped to one knee and thrust her sword upwards, hoping to impale Glory on it. This time however her adversary was ready. Twisting away from the blade in mid-jump, the goddess slammed her foot into the Slayer's jaw.  
  
The impact of the blow shattered her jaw and sent her flying into the wall twenty feet behind her. Groaning with pain both from the kick and the shock of her landing, she forced herself upright to meet Glory's advance. Once her rival was in range, Faith swung her blade slicing into Glory's shoulder.  
  
The goddess screamed in pain as the blade ripped its way through her body but Faith's satisfaction was short-lived. A hard right broke her nose and then the punches began to rein in. On the fifth blow, she was dimly aware of her sword falling to the ground and on the eighth she herself fell.  
  
She dazedly heard the goddess' cackling laughter and felt a screaming pain in her scalp as she was lifted by her hair and thrown into the far wall. Even as she spat blood out of her mouth she could hear the goddess' gloating as she crossed the distance between them. "You're a pretty one," she said. "Maybe I'll keep you as a pet."  
  
"Hey bitch leave my girl the hell alone!"  
  
Xander. Faith's heart leapt at her boyfriend's voice even as she heard the boom of his shotgun and the accompanying scream of agony from the goddess as the pellets tore into her. Turning her head, she saw the goddess race over to her boyfriend, knock his gun out of his hand and begin strangling him.  
  
Her body trembling with the agony, Faith began to crawl desperately towards her sword lying at the other side of the room. It seemed miles away but she had to reach it, for her Xander. Eventually she did, after lifting the suddenly impossibly heavy weapon she staggered to her feet and started towards her lover and the goddess choking him, every step taking a seeming age to complete. As soon as she was in range of the oblivious hellgod she raised the blade and spoke, her voice raspy from pain. "Bitch," the goddess began to turn, "told you you'd have to go through me to get to my boy." With a single swing she decapitated Glory. She grinned wearily at Xander and then the world went black. 


	16. 16

Starting Over 16 - Making Up Is Hard To Do  
  
Buffy swallowed as she observed the lone figure sat on the porch, they'd started to bond again but there was still some tension. "Hi Xander."  
  
Xander turned his head to face her. "Hi," he replied, his voice was still hoarse from last night's near-choking.  
  
"Aren't you going in? There's one heck of a party in there."  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?" she demanded, her heart clenching in pain. "I thought we'd made up."  
  
To her relief her friend hastened to reassure her. "It's not you, it's me," Xander's voice trailed off.  
  
Buffy reached across and took her friend's hand. What's wrong Xand?"  
  
For a long time there wasn't an answer then Xander began to speak. "Last night we killed a goddess, an actual freaking goddess. And then, when Faith fell I thought she was dead. I guess I'm just worn out."  
  
"You really love her don't you?"  
  
"Yeah," there was a hint of challenge in her friend's voice, daring her to disapprove.  
  
"Good."  
  
It was impossible for her to miss the surprise on her friend's face. "Really?"  
  
"Really. I was against you at the start but she's happier, more open, and trusting, while you - you're still a jackass." She smiled at her friend's laugh, she'd missed that sound. "Xander, why did you decide to help her?"  
  
Buffy was shocked to see a tear well up in Xander's eye. "The night we left for L.A., Faith turned up at my house looking for help. My dad invited her in a.and," Xander took a rattling breath, his words becoming choked with emotion, "he tried to rape her. She was in too much shock to do anything; if I hadn't turned up he would have succeeded."  
  
"Oh Xander," she pulled him into a hug, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"She was so scared, I couldn't let you or anybody hurt her. You didn't need me but she did," she was relieved when her friend's voice steadied. "Me and Faith are quite similar really. Same shitty families, her's even worse than mine, only diff was I had you guys and Giles. She had nobody. Then she's chosen and comes to Sunnydale after being forced to watch her Watcher, the first person to ever respect her, be tortured and killed. And what do we do? We dump her in a fleapit hotel with the junkies, hookers, and all the other lowlife. A scared and lonely sixteen year old kid."  
  
"Oh god," Buffy whispered. Looking back she realised that Xander was right.  
  
"Then the Mayor turns up, a guy who acts like the father she always wanted," her friend wiped at his eyes. "It wasn't her fault, not really, not like the stuff I did."  
  
"What did you do Xand?"  
  
The young man beside her took a breath. "I remember everything about being a hyena Buffy."  
  
"Oh," she paused in thought, "Xander you were possessed."  
  
Her words failed to comfort the young man sat beside her. His face twisted in anguish. "Damn it Buffy I tried to rape you."  
  
"But you didn't succeed," she soothed, "and it wasn't you, you were possessed. Xander's there's nothing to forgive."  
  
"I wasn't possessed when I cheated on Cordy, god I hurt her so much. Or when I cast the love spell, after blackmailing one of my oldest friends to do it."  
  
"Xander, everyone makes mistakes. I ran away from being a Slayer twice remember?"  
  
"Yeah but," the youth hesitated, taking a breath before speaking. "I knew Willow was re-casting the soul restoration ritual when you went to face Angelus but I didn't tell you."  
  
"I know."  
  
Her friend's head snapped up from inspecting his feet, turning to face her. "How?"  
  
"After you left Angel rang me for a few weeks trying to get me to talk to you. I think he was desperate to get rid of you," Xander chuckled. "He told me a lot of stuff, about the hospital, the zombie gang," she chuckled slightly as her friend reddened. "He also told me about what happened that night. At first I was so angry but then I realised you probably saved my life again."  
  
"Yeah," Xander let out a relieved laugh. "That's one hobby of mine that's getting real boring."  
  
"Xander," Buffy felt her heart pound with nervousness. "Will you come home please?" She was disappointed when Xander shook his head. "I can't, I'm glad we're friends again. But," her friend paused, "Faith's happy where she is and aside from you guys there's nothing in Sunnydale for me. In L.A. I've got a great job, here I'd just be a labourer, I've got a home in L.A., not here."  
  
"You could stay with us," Buffy suggested tentatively.  
  
Her friend grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly would there be room? What with you and Gunn getting all hot and steamy."  
  
"You saw that?" Buffy reddened. "Does my new guy get the Xander seal of approval?"  
  
"Well after years of trying, and dozens of guys, ow!" Xander rubbed at his arm where she'd punched him, "sorry should that be hundreds?" her friend grinned at her warning growl. "Gunn's a great guy."  
  
"Like someone else I know," she leaned into her friend's side finding the comfort she'd always gained there. "But you'll stay in touch?"  
  
Xander hugged her. "You bet, try and stop me. We'll come up for vacations, that sort of thing. You and the others have an open invitation to come up to LA. Which reminds me," the young man reached into his jacket and brought up a book which he passed to her. Her eyes widened as she opened the book.  
  
"How? What? Why?"  
  
Xander laughed. "As well as working for Angel, Gunn, Faith, and I go vampire nest clearing. When we've cleared out a place, we go through the building looking for cash, stuff we can pawn. Anything we make we split three ways."  
  
"But there's eighteen thousand dollars here," she waved the account book dazedly.  
  
Her friend shrugged. "Only money," he grinned. "If I get short, Faith will have to keep me. You can use the money for whatever you want."  
  
"But why?"  
  
Xander frowned. "Your mom was always great to me. I didn't want to cause trouble by turning up at the funeral so I decided to pay my respects with that," the young man tapped the book in her hand. "I thought that G-Man could come up to some story as to where it came from. Now thought," Xander smiled, "now though I get to see your face when I give it to you."  
  
Buffy felt her eyes burn with tears as she threw her arms around her friend's neck. "Still looking after me Xander?" she muttered before kissing him on the cheek. "You're the best." Her friend winked. "Aw shucks ma'am." 


End file.
